The force credits the huge decrease in reported incidents down to its specialist Operation Castle probe
A general image of a Merseyside Police officer (Image: Merseyside Police)
Merseyside’s reported burglaries are at their lowest in six years with a drastic 27% reduction in the last 12 months alone. New analysis of official crime data has revealed Merseyside Police has recorded the lowest rates of residential burglary between January and December 2024.
While national burglary rates fell by 3.5% in 2024, Merseyside’s figures recorded a huge 27% year-on-year decrease. According to the Office for National Statistics, Merseyside Police recorded 2,776 reported residential burglaries in the year to December 2024 compared to 3,847 in the year before.
Merseyside Police has put the huge decrease in rates down to the force’s Operation Castle – a specialist team tackling series-linked burglaries. The force said the team works closely on operations in burglary hotspots, proactively targeting known offenders and engaging with community projects.
Speaking to the ECHO, Merseyside Police detective chief inspector Stephen Ball, who oversees the force’s burglary investigations, said: “In Merseyside, we have been combating burglary as a key priority because we understand how deeply intrusive this crime is. Having someone enter your home and violate your personal space can be incredibly distressing for victims.
“Burglary reports in Merseyside are at their lowest since 2018 when the force established Operation Castle as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle burglary.
“In the last year alone, across 12 months between January and December 2024, burglary offences decreased by 27% in Merseyside compared to the previous period of January to December 2023.
“Operation Castle has been a huge success, in the past year we have arrested 612 suspects in connection with burglary offences. But while great strides have been made to protect residents from the trauma of burglary, we are not complacent.
“We would encourage people to always report burglaries to us because it allows us to focus our resources in the right areas. By reporting offences and providing us with information and if possible, CCTV and ring doorbell footage, it helps us pursue offenders and put them before the courts.”
The force’s work tackling burglaries has seen a number of significant prison sentences in recent months, including 38-year-old Paul Alban, of Cherry Tree Drive in St Helens, who was sentenced in March to 10 years for an aggravated burglary.
Another recent success for the team saw Stephen Harold, 53 and of Manor Road in Liscard, who was sentenced on March 31 to four years and eight months for a series of burglaries across the Wirral.
West Mercia came second in the biggest drop in incidents with a 25% reduction, followed closely by Derbyshire with 24% fewer cases. Cleveland experienced 22% less home break-ins placing them as fourth, and Cumbria ranked as the fifth.
Despite long-term national improvements attributed to better home security and police strategies, concerns persist around enforcement: less than 6% of reported break-ins result in a suspect being charged, highlighting an enforcement gap that continues to worry homeowners.
Speaking on the findings, Craig Morgan, from SJL Insurance Service, said: “It’s reassuring to see areas spread across England and Wales making significant progress in reducing residential burglaries. This trend suggests that targeted crime prevention strategies and improved community awareness can have a real impact.
“However, lower break-in rates should not lead to complacency. With less than 6% of burglary cases leading to charges, there’s still a major gap in enforcement. Even in the safest regions, every homeowner should take proactive steps to protect their property and ensure they have the right cover in place.”
DCI Ball added: “Prevention is also vital and we actively engage with residents in our communities across the region and provide them with advice on how they can do their bit to prevent becoming a target. For more advice visit www.merseyside.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/
“Every burglary prevented means one less victim having to deal with the emotional and financial aftermath of this crime. Being a victim of burglary can have a massive impact and we support victims throughout the process of reporting crime up until sentencing.”We act on information we receive and encourage people to come forward if you know anything about suspected burglary and the sale of stolen goods where you are. We’ll act on all information provided. Burglary offences have decreased across Merseyside, and we’ll continue to work proactively with communities and our partners to keep this progress going.
“We have a ‘Public CCTV Submission Portal’ that people can access to upload their own footage of suspicious activity from home security cameras or smart doorbells to help us catch burglars.”