Are Burglary Rates Really Falling In Liverpool?

Every year, MoneySupermarket.com complies its list of burglary hotspots in the UK.

MoneySupermarket.com creates its list by analysing more than 3.1 million home insurance claims made over the last two years in order to identify the locations with the highest and lowest rate of claims.

Notably, the top 20 list for 2020 does not include any Liverpool postcodes.

This is a pretty big achievement, since Liverpool as a whole featured sixth on the list in 2016—2017 –  and sixteenth in 2018—2019.

This year, Liverpool postcodes have fallen significantly (L16 postcodes, for example, are now in position 94). This may make Liverpudlians feel as though they are significantly less likely to be the victim of burglary than they were a few years ago.

But is this true? Is Liverpool’s burglary rate really falling? And what can homeowners do to boost their security in Liverpool?

Are Burglary Rates In Liverpool Really Falling?

MoneySupermarket.com works out its burglary hotspot list using insurance claims data. But is this really the best way?

Probably not. This is because some people may not put in an insurance claim after a burglary has taken place – either because they don’t have insurance, or because they don’t think it’s worth the hassle.

Luckily, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases its own national crime data quarterly – and the data it releases comes directly from police records.

To see whether burglary rates in Liverpool are really falling, we looked at the ONS’s data for the last five years (year ending September) to see if the trend is reflected in their figures.

Since data is recorded at constabulary level, the ONS figures refer to Merseyside (not just Liverpool). But, since Liverpool accounts for the vast majority of the population living in Merseyside, a significant drop in burglary rates should still be visible in the ONS data – if it exists.

Here are the results:

1. 2015 – Total Burglaries: 11,587 (Domestic Burglary: 6,540; Non-Domestic Burglary: 5,047)
2. 2016 – Total Burglaries: 10,823 (Domestic Burglary: 6,506; Non-Domestic Burglary: 4,317)
3. 2017 – Total Burglaries: 12,059 (Domestic Burglary: 8,625; Non-Domestic Burglary: 3,434)
4. 2018 – Total Burglaries: 11,868 (Domestic Burglary: 9,343; Non-Domestic Burglary: 2,525)
5. 2019 – Total Burglaries: 9,481 (Domestic Burglar: 6,937; Non-Domestic Burglary: 2,544)

As you can see, the ONS data paints a much more complex picture. Over the last five years, rates of domestic burglary have actually trended upwards – with a return to slightly higher than 2015 figures in 2019. Whereas non-domestic burglaries have consistently trended downwards, and the total number of burglaries has fluctuated considerably.

This may be fantastic news for business owners in Liverpool. However, in terms of residents and homeowners, they were no less likely to be burgled in 2019 than they were in 2016.

This means that, in 2020, it’s just as important as ever that people living in Liverpool know how to protect their home from thieves.

How To Secure Your Home

Homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those employing even simple security measures.

This means that, with just a few simple steps, you can significantly reduce your chances of being targeted by burglars.

Here’s how:

1. Lock your doors and windows every time you leave your house – even if you’re only going to the garden.
2. Hide all keys and keep them far away from the letterbox (burglars often use devices to pull keys through).
3. Install a burglar alarm.
4. Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your property and do the same for them.
5. When you go away, use a timer to turn on radios or lights at certain times to make your home appear occupied.
6. Keep fences around your garden in good condition.
7. Lock bikes to immovable objects inside a locked shed or garage.
8. Store ladders away securely – burglars can use ladders left outside to force entry.
9. Lock side gates to prevent access to the rear of the property.
10. Improve natural surveillance at the front of your property – trim high hedges, for example
11. Mark valuable property with your postcode and house number and register it for free with Immobilise.
12. Consider joining or establishing a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
13. Move any valuables out of view on your lower floors.
14. Store high value items – such as cash, jewellery and passports – in a secure safe or bank vault.
15. Consider replacing glass panels in doors with stronger laminated glass.
16. Fit locks to downstairs windows and to upstairs windows that are easy to reach
17. Cancel newspaper and milk deliveries before you go on holiday – nothing lets a burglar know you’re away like a pile of newspapers.
18. Avoid discussing holiday plans on social networks, since burglars may use this information to target you.
19. Use the Royal Mail’s “Keepsafe” service when you’re away – they will safely store your mail for up to two months.

Want to find out more?

Learn how to protect your business from burglars.

Find out what to do immediately after a break in has taken place.

 Churchill Security is a leading national security provider. We are able to deliver a comprehensive range of security services in Liverpool and throughout the North West – including manned security, mobile patrols, CCTV installation and surveillance, keyholding and alarm response and more.

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