Public let down as violent crime soars, says Fed chair

25 January 2019

Murder and manslaughter are at their highest levels for 12 years, new crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown.

Violent offences have increased 19 per cent overall, ONS figures for the year ending September 2018 reveal, prompting national Federation chair John Apter to claim the public has been let down despite the best efforts of police officers to fight crime.

“Society just isn’t as safe as it once was, and although the police service is doing everything within its power, we are swimming against the tide and it is the public who are being let down,” John explained.

“The murder toll has increased from 649 deaths last year to 739, an annual increase for the fourth consecutive year. This represents thousands of families and friends grieving all over the UK. The NHS says that hospital admissions in England alone from knife-related offences soared to 4,986 over the past 12 months.

“This is a terrifying picture for our communities whose lives are being blighted by violent crime on a daily basis. Yet we have a Government whose own Violent Crime Strategy omitted to mention that the number of police officers has plummeted by around 22,000 since 2010, 80 per cent from the front-line. This is not a coincidence; we need more boots on the ground to help combat this epidemic.”

The statistics, released yesterday, show:

• Murders* rose by 14 per cent in the past year
• Hospital admissions from stabbings soared by a staggering 15 per cent
• Knife crime offences increased by eight per cent bringing the annual total to 39,818 and the highest number since 2011**
• Robberies were up by 17 per cent
• Public order offences increased by 24 per cent
• Sex offences rose by 14 per cent
• Vehicle thefts went up by 10 per cent and
• Overall crime was up seven per cent.

According to the figures, gun crimes went down by four per cent and burglaries decreased by one per cent.

The figures do not include knife crime figures from Greater Manchester Police, which would add more than 3,000 knife incidents to the overall total.

*Murder figures exclude London and Manchester terror attacks

** Knife crimes are more prevalent in urban areas with London closely followed by West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the Midlands.