'We’re now attending all reported burglaries' - how Rugby Police are tackling the town’s rapid rise in break-ins

As we reported earlier, Rugby suffered the sharpest increase in domestic burglaries in England in 2024, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The town saw 257 break-ins over 2024 - a 68 per cent increase on the previous year.

Only Powys in Wales saw a higher rate in both England and Wales.

Rugby Police said they have worked hard to tackle this problem and said it is already seeing a 'significant drop'.

A force spokesperson added: “It’s important to remember that Rugby is a rapidly growing town, and more households being created means more targets for burglars.

“There’s also the matter of the new-build homes lying empty before they’re bought. We’ve had issues with thieves targeting white goods and fixtures and fittings in these empty homes. This factors into that increase in burglaries last year too."

Talking about how they have addressed the problem, the spokesperson added: “We know that a burglary can be incredibly distressing, so we’ve been working hard to address the issue.

“First, we made sure we attend every single burglary reported to us and we made sure our officers are trained to gather any evidence available quicky.

“We’ve also been ensuring every burglary is reviewed by a forensic scene investigator and we’ve set up dedicated teams of detectives across the county to investigate these cases.

“That’s all been combined with extra patrols in the areas that we know have been seeing an increase in burglaries.

“For real crime prevention advice, we would always recommend referring directly to the police.

“We’ve got an up-to-date and evidence-based section on our website that’s dedicated to simple, practical tips you can take to deter burglars: Protecting your home from crime | Crime prevention | Warwickshire Police

“Always remember, if you see anything suspicious, call us on 101.

“If it’s an emergency, we’re here on 999 whenever you need us.”

Nationally, the ONS figures show that burglary continues its long-term decline, with residential break-ins across England and Wales falling by 3.5 per cent in 2024.