One in four crimes "not investigated"

A total of 12,611 crimes were “screened out” after the force received phone calls from the public and a further 23,312 (21.2 per cent) were not followed up after an initial investigation and review by a supervisor.

Det Supt Colin Stanger defended the force, one of 18 which provided statistics, following claims that it had failed to investigate 46 per cent of reported crimes, coming a close second to the Metropolitan force which “screens out” 48 per cent of reported offences.

DS Stanger spoke out in a bid “to clarify the way in which crimes are investigated within the county”. He said: “A crime can be reported in a number of different ways. No matter the route chosen an investigation is always undertaken.”

DS Stanger stressed that the force employed specially-trained telephone investigators, adding: “During 2008/2009 they conducted 12,611 telephone investigations where they determined that there were no further productive lines of enquiry and the offences committed were of a minor nature. This is what is referred to as ‘screened crime.’

“In addition police officers investigated a further 23,312 reported crimes where following initial investigation and review by a supervisor it has been decided all productive lines of enquiry have been completed. These crimes are referred to as ‘supervisor screened crimes.’

“Therefore the inference that Dorset police have not investigated 46 per cent of crime is totally inaccurate. In fact all crimes are investigated to a minimum standard which allows the effective use of resources to concentrate on those crimes which have the potential to be detected or are of a more serious nature.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said that the failure by police officers to visit all victims of minor crimes is wrong.

Meanwhile Douglas Paxton, a spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said the words “screening out” did not mean that crimes were not being investigated.