For the last year Anthony Stansfeld has Chaired the performance Committee of the Police Authority, which sets targets for the police. Household burglary has been given priority, especially in our major urban areas such as Slough, Reading, Oxford and Milton Keynes.
The results have been impressive. In Slough the detection rate has nearly doubled, and household burglaries have reduced considerably. In Reading household burglaries are running at over 30% less and detection rates again have about doubled. This is mirrored in most other Thames Police areas.
There is still room for improvement and this is being addressed. Anthony Stansfeld believes that high detection rates for household burglary lead to immediate reductions in crime rates, not only for household burglary but in other areas as well.