Burglaries down but still averaging 30 per day

Burglaries are down by 33% over the last three years in Greater Manchester according to the latest figures from GMP.

The force recorded more than 11,000 burglaries in 2024, which is still an average of 30 incidents per day in the city region. 

Police have also seen a 25% uptick in people arrested on suspicion of burglary, with 2,305 suspects taken in for questioning. 

GMP put this new data down to Operation Castle, which began in July 2021 with the aim of improving its response to burglaries. 

“These numbers are not just statistics to us,” said a police spokesperson. “Each number represents a victim that has ultimately suffered at the hands of burglars in Greater Manchester, and our goal is to reduce this even more.” 

Fiona James, a GMP Crime Prevention Coordinator, says there are often local burglary spikes as thieves target homes on the same streets: “It is so important for us to give out crime prevention advice to those people, because simple advice can be so effective at ensuring that household is not burgled, and our work undoubtedly helps make Greater Manchester just that little bit safer from burglars.” 

“Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith who is the new head for Operation Castle, said: “Progress is being made, and it is down to each and every officer and member of police staff who always strive to get the best possible outcome for the victim by focusing on the basics, attending burglaries, making more arrests and bringing more offenders to justice and the result of this is that we are reducing burglaries in the longer term. 

“We recognise that burglary is one of the most impactful and intrusive crimes someone can be a victim of. It is an attack on you, your home and your place of safety.”