Lockdown brings drop in crime figures

27 August 2020

Humberside Police Federation chair Pete Musgrave today welcomed a huge drop in recorded crime during the pandemic but warned the figures are likely to rise as lockdown is eased.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released yesterday showed that total crime, excluding fraud and computer crime, dropped by just under a third during April and May compared to a two-month average in the pre-lockdown period.

One area to go against the trend was drug offences. Proactive police activity resulted in levels rising by 22 per cent in April 2020 and 44 per cent in May 2020 compared with April and May 2019.

Pete said: “It’s welcome news to see crime figures falling by such an amount because we know crime can have a long-lasting impact on victims. Our members continued to work tirelessly throughout lockdown, not just in protecting the public but they were proactive around drug offences and in other areas too.

“However, the fall in crime was to be expected. With people mainly confined to their homes and with businesses closed the opportunity for crimes such as theft and burglary were greatly reduced.

“The figures will inevitably rise again as we come out of lockdown. If we are to ensure we have a long-term reduction in crime figures then we need sustained investment in policing and more officers in our communities and on our streets.”

Key findings of the ONS study were:

·         Underlying the reduction in crime were significant falls in theft offences, particularly domestic burglary and other theft of personal property

·         Police recorded crime levels during the lockdown period were much lower than respective months in 2019, with 25 per cent less crime in April 2020 and 20 per cent less crime in May 2020 

·         Reductions were seen across many types of crime, in particular, theft offences fell in April and May 2020 to almost half the level recorded in April and May 2019 

·         Police recorded crime fell by 5 per cent in March 2020 compared with the previous month, followed by a larger 20 per cent decrease between March and April. In contrast, crime increased by 12 per cent from April to May, as the easing of lockdown restrictions began.

Ché Donald, the Federation’s national vice-chair, said: “We must not be lulled into a false sense of security, as the figures will inevitably rise again. The answer to this is that we still need more officers on the streets in order to drive crime down in the longer term and to keep the public safe. The much-promised Government uplift of police officers will assist with this, but it is yet to be felt by my colleagues and the public.”

 He said he was highly encouraged by the finding that 91 per cent of adults who responded to the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) were satisfied with their local police officers, adding: “We have all read the recent negative media perceptions of policing so this overwhelming vote of confidence from the public will be appreciated by our members.

“This reflects the amazing work done by policing during the pandemic and the respect in which they are clearly held by the majority of the public.”