FOI 31768
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: HRC0031768/26
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 23rd September 2026. Please find below the response to your request:
Please provide the following aggregate figures for recorded crimes involving a stolen cat in your force area from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023:
- How many cat-theft crimes were recorded in each month from January 2019 to December 2023? Please use the date the crime was recorded.
- For each year, how many were recorded in each theft-location category? Please use your existing categories.
- For each year, how many had each recorded crime outcome? Please use your existing outcome categories.
- For each year, what were the totals by breed/type and, separately, by sex of the cat? Please include unknown or unrecorded categories where available.
Please include cat thefts recorded under burglary or robbery as well as theft, where readily identifiable. Aggregate tables are sufficient. Please state if a figure is unavailable and whether the breed and sex totals count cats or crimes.
Reply
Caveat: There is a specific offence of ‘Abduction of a Pet dog/cat’ but this offence did not come into effect until August 2024. Therefore, to search for the timeframe requested, we used a keyword search for which the results were manually reviewed to eliminate false positives. False positives include forced entry via cat flaps/entry via windows and doors left open for cats, theft of cat boxes/food/litter, theft of cat excavators.
The tables state the number of offences, not the number of cats stolen (an offence may include the theft of more than one cat/kitten).
- How many cat-theft crimes were recorded in each month from January 2019 to December 2023? Please use the date the crime was recorded.
Total number of cat theft offences:
|
Home Office Offence Group and Month |
Calendar Year |
Number of offences |
|||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
||
|
BURGLARY |
3 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
March |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
April |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
September |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
|
November |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||
|
ROBBERY |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
August |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
THEFT |
11 |
19 |
13 |
9 |
52 |
|
January |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
|
February |
5 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
|
|
March |
1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
April |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
May |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
June |
1 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
July |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
|
August |
4 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
September |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||
|
October |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|
November |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
December |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
|
Grand Total |
15 |
19 |
15 |
11 |
60 |
- For each year, how many were recorded in each theft-location category? Please use your existing categories.
The request does not state what is specifically meant by theft location: if this relates to local policing area or premises type. As the premises type field is not mandatory, and as such, is rarely used, of the 60 offences, only 8 has a premises type recorded, we have provided local policing area rather than premises type.
Location of thefts:
|
Local Policing Area |
Calendar Year |
Number of offences |
|||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
||
|
BURGLARY |
3 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
South Worcestershire |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
North Worcestershire |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Herefordshire |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Shropshire |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
ROBBERY |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
North Worcestershire |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
THEFT |
11 |
19 |
13 |
9 |
52 |
|
South Worcestershire |
2 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
|
North Worcestershire |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
|
Herefordshire |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
Shropshire |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
12 |
|
Telford & Wrekin |
1 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
|
Grand Total |
15 |
19 |
15 |
11 |
60 |
- For each year, how many had each recorded crime outcome? Please use your existing outcome categories.
Police Outcomes:
|
Police Outcomes |
Calendar Year |
Number of offences |
|||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
||
|
BURGLARY |
3 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
ROBBERY |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
THEFT |
11 |
19 |
13 |
9 |
52 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Type 10 - Formal Action Against Offender is not in the Public Interest (Police) |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
1 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
4 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
2 |
4 |
5 |
11 |
|
|
Type 17 - Prosecution Time Limit Expired: Suspect Identified But Prosecution Time Limit Has Expired |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
3 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
17 |
|
Grand Total |
15 |
19 |
15 |
11 |
60 |
- For each year, what were the totals by breed/type and, separately, by sex of the cat? Please include unknown or unrecorded categories where available.
Please include cat thefts recorded under burglary or robbery as well as theft, where readily identifiable. Aggregate tables are sufficient. Please state if a figure is unavailable and whether the breed and sex totals count cats or crimes.
No information held. Our crime management system does not include a separate field for breed or sex of an animal.