UK Burglary Hotspots

3 4 Key: Number of Northumbria burglaries per 1000 people 9. 10 Cleveland 11 Durham 12 Cumbria 13 A map showing numbers of burglaries per police force area England & Wales Jan - Dec 2012 Most populated cities: North Yorkshire 1. London 7,074,265 2. Birmingham 1,020,589 3. Leeds 726,939 4. Sheffield 530,375 5. Bradford 483,422 Humberside Greater Lancashire West Manchester Yorkshire (9 6. Liverpool 467,995 7. Manchester 430,818 South Merseyside Yorkshire 8. Bristol 399,633 Derbyshire 9. Wakefield 317,342 10. Cardiff 315,040 Cheshire Notting- hamshire North Wales Lincolnshire Stafford- shire Norfolk Leicester West Midlands Cambridge Northampton -shire Warwick- West Mercia -shire Suffolk shire Dyfed-Powys Bedford - shire Hertford -shire Gloucester Essex -shire Gwent Thames Valley South Wales 10 City of London Wiltshire Avon and Surrey Kent Somerset Hampshire Sussex Devon and Dorset Cornwall Highly-populated areas Regions incorporating highly-populated towns and cities are likely to demonstrate higher burglary rates. Together, South and West Yorkshire, for example, are home to four of England's biggest cities; Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and Wakefield. Densely-populated areas Population Density, 2011 per km? The distribution of population in the most burgled areas is dense, too. South and West Yorkshire, combined, are smaller in area than neighbouring North Yorkshire, for example; a region with a considerably lower burglary rate. 5000 + 2500 - 5000 1000 - 2500 500 - 1000 250 - 500 100 - 250 50 - 100 25 - 50 0 - 25 Other types of crime If the number of burglaries commited correlates purely with level of population, surely the trend would be similar for other types of crime? By plotting the graph of burglaries vs. violent crimes per police force area, we can see that this is not strictly the case: Michael Fraser Burglary vs. Violknt Crime in England & Wales (2012) 25 We asked home security expert and 20- star of the BBC's 'To Catch a Thief' and 'Beat the Burglar', Michael Fraser, for his opinion on the reasons for burglary 'hotspots'. 15- 5- Here's what he had to say: "Burglary is an opportunistic crime; often a spur-of-the-moment thing. It's more likely to prevail in areas of high unemployment as people find themselves presented with opportunities that, at work, wouldn't otherwise have existed. Estimated real unemployment, April 2012 % of working age population (16-64) More than 12,5 10.0 to 12.5 Combined with the recession, where almost everyone's feeling the financial pinch, the temptation to burgle, for some, becomes hard to resist. 7.5 to 10.0 5.0 to 7.5 Less than 5 The figures here broadly suggest more instances of burglary in the North and it's possible that a culture of trust, dating back to the 1950s and '60s could have contributed to the data. Those who are happy to leave the back door unlocked, for example, don't present a burglar with any challenge in entering their home". Simple ways to deter a burglar "People don't realise the tell-tale signs they leave for would-be intruders. A 'Beware of the Dog!' sign suggests an unlocked back door for easy access to the garden, and an unalarmed house. Letters piling up behind the front door are a dead giveaway that you're on holiday; especially if you can see a kitchen calendar confirming the dates! Sources: www.theguardian.com/news/datablog www.ons.gov.uk www.hmic.gov.uk www.citymayors.com www.shu.ac.uk/research commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nilfanion www.chartgo.com Obscure your windows, as intruders want to be confident as to what they'll find inside. I always recommend wooden blinds as window coverings, as their angled slats are a great way of hiding the contents of your house whilst still looking natural, both day and night". IWOODEN BLINDS DIRECT Rate per 1000 people Dyfed-Powys - Cumbria 1 Northumbria Devon & Cornwall Hertfordshire - North Yorkshire - Surrey Sussex - Hampshire Dorset - Durham- North Wales. Staffordshire West Mercia - Cambridgeshire Cheshire Suffolk Wiltshire Derbyshire - Cleveland - Leicestershire Essex - Lincolnshire South Walen Nottinghamshire Thames Valley- Gloucestershire - & Somerset - juay Lancashire - Bedfordshire . Merseyside- Warwickshire- Gwent- Humberside West Midlands Northamptonshire. Greater Manchester. Metropolitan Police - West Yorkshire - South Yorkshire.