Of the 2,582 break-ins reported to the force in the year to June 2025, 2,360 went unsolved. In two-thirds of cases, officers were unable to identify a suspect.
The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show that just 110 cases led to suspects being charged or summonsed. A further 18 resulted in alternative charges, 16 in community resolutions, and eight in cautions. Some burglary offences were also taken into account during sentencing for other crimes.
The low detection rate comes amid rising concern over police performance. Norfolk has seen an increase in both residential and business burglaries, while nationally forces have faced criticism over whether they are prioritising the crimes that matter most to communities.
Earlier this month, five armed Metropolitan Police officers arrested comedian Graham Linehan who previously lived in Norwich over three social media posts about trans issues. The incident prompted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to urge police to focus on “the issues that matter most to communities”.
Norfolk Chief Constable Paul Sanford said burglary offences in the county had risen by 5.3% in the past year, following a three-year decline, but stressed that Norfolk still has the second-lowest burglary rate in England.
He said: “All victims of residential burglaries in Norfolk are visited, except on rare occasions when exceptional circumstances prevent this.”
National policing guidance requires forces to prioritise attending the scene of a domestic burglary within an hour of it being reported, a measure intended to improve the chances of catching offenders.
Police said investigations were often hampered by a lack of evidence, suspects being underage, or witnesses being unable to give evidence due to illness.
Burglary carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
In 2018, Norfolk Police trialled a computer algorithm based on 29 factors to determine which burglary cases should be pursued, but the system was abandoned amid claims it was being used to “quietly close” cases.
Overall crime in Norfolk fell by 5.4% last year.
