POLICE in Suffolk are examining the scene of hundreds more burglaries and car crimes – but are still not meeting targets.New figures show that in the first four months of this year , officers got to 414 more burglary and vehicle crime scenes, than they did last year.

POLICE in Suffolk are examining the scene of hundreds more burglaries and car crimes – but are still not meeting targets.

New figures show that in the first four months of this year , officers got to 414 more burglary and vehicle crime scenes, than they did last year.

This year, police should get to 86 per cent of house burglaries, 50 per cent of other burglaries, and 43 per cent of vehicle crimes.

Officers are still missing their targets by one to two per cent, but chief constable Alastair McWhirter said in terms of actual numbers they were succeeding.

He said April to July had seen a 'sharp rise' in attendance by scenes of crime officers but officers were now nearer to their targets of attendance: "Tremendous progress has been made towards the challenging attendance targets… Although we are narrowly behind the target percentages for attendance, the number of burglary dwelling and vehicle crime scenes examined has actually exceeded the target pro rata."

More DNA evidence is also being found at crime scenes, and being submitted to a national database. Every year more offenders are identified in this way, and between April and July 394 crime scenes revealed DNA evidence with 141 identity matches on the database.

The figures are due to be discussed at Suffolk Police Authority's next meeting on Friday , when members hear an update on Suffolk First – the project aiming to make Suffolk the safest county in England and Wales by March 2006. It is currently ranked third.

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