Hertfordshire residents have been assured that every house burglary is already responded to by the police, with figures also dropping across the county.

On Wednesday, chief constables across England and Wales committed forces to attending all home burglaries, with Herts Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd quick to confirm this practice has been in place in the county for years.

He also confirmed an average of seven house burglaries per day take place in Hertfordshire, almost half the number that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A recent independent public opinion survey commissioned by my office showed that 80 per cent of people felt safe in Hertfordshire. But burglary, alongside cybercrime, were residents’ top concerns,” said PCC Lloyd.

“On a typical day there are seven residential burglaries, which is recognised as being very low for a county of this size. You are very unlikely to be a victim of this crime.

“We have continued to see considerable and sustained reductions in residential burglaries over the past three years with the number reduced by almost half.

“It does however remain a high priority for the public, my office and the constabulary. For many years now the Hertfordshire Police has maintained a policy of attending every residential burglary.

“We are not complacent though as every home burglary has a devastating effect on the victim. I am encouraging the constabulary to go further and use spatial crime analysis and predictive mapping techniques to understand where there is a heightened risk of this type of crime.”

PPC Lloyd also confirmed that Home Office funding had been secured as part of the Safe Streets project to make homes safer.

“We are also working with residents to make their properties safer,” he continued.

“My office secured over £700,000 in Home Office funding to increase security at hundreds of properties as part of the Safe Streets project.”

Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer added: “Hertfordshire Constabulary has a practice which requires attendance at the scene of a dwelling burglary and has done for some time. This is line with the national position.”