Concern over latest crime statistics

18 October 2018

Increases in some of the most serious crimes show that the Government’s cuts to policing are having a real impact on communities, says the secretary of Leicestershire Police Federation.

Matt Robinson was speaking after the Office for National Statistics today published its statistical bulletin Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2018.

The report points to no change in the total level of crime but rises in in some types of theft and in higher-harm types of violence including an increase in the number of police recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments, more hospital admissions for assaults involving a sharp instrument and an increase in homicides.

“The statistics paint a worrying but familiar picture of an upsurge in violence,” says Matt, “Although the figures suggest only two out of 10 adults experienced crime in the last year, that is still a major concern. For each person who is a victim of crime, there is a wider circle of their family, friends and colleagues that are also affected.”

“It is time that this Government started to re-invest meaningfully in policing so that forces can tackle violent offenders and protect the public more effectively. Officers are doing their best to fight crime, tackle anti-social behaviour and look after vulnerable members of the public.

"We are however, constantly battling the reduction in officers available to attend these incidents and then carry out investigations thoroughly and effectively. Our officers are being stretched to the limits more often. This has to stop and stop quickly.”

The figures reveal:

• A 12 per cent increase in police recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument to 39,332
• 14 per cent increased in police recorded homicide offences – from 630 to 719
• A 22 per cent increase in police recorded robberies – to 79,117
• A 30 per cent increase in police recorded public order offences – to 409,191
• A 0.8 per cent increase in the proportion of adults who experienced sexual assaults in the year ending March 2018 to 2.7 per cent (these are the latest figures available)
• An eight per cent increase in overall thefts estimated by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) to 3,591,000
• A seven per cent increase in vehicle offences recorded by the police to 457,970
• A two per cent increase in burglary recorded by the police to 432,267.

There was, however, no change in overall violent offences estimated by the CSEW (1,275,000), fraud offences (estimated by the CSEW at 3,348,000) and overall criminal damage and arson offences (CSEW estimated at 1,127,000). Criminal damage and arson offences recorded by the police showed a similar pattern – a one per cent increase to 584,946.

The CSEW also estimated a 30 per cent decrease in computer misuse offences (1,121,000).

Joe Traynor from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice commented: “Over recent decades, we’ve seen continued falls in overall levels of crime but in the last year the trend has been more stable. The latest figures show no change in the total level of crime but variation by crime types. We saw rises in some types of theft and in some lower-volume but higher-harm types of violence, balanced by a fall in the high-volume offence of computer misuse. There was no change in other high-volume offences such as overall violence, criminal damage and fraud.

“To put today’s crime survey figures into context, only two out of 10 adults experienced crime in the latest year.”

Read the full report.