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Crime rising at increasing rate in England and Wales, police figures show Crime rising at increasing rate in England and Wales, police figures show
(about 1 hour later)
The rise in crime is accelerating with the latest figures showing a 13% rise in all police recorded offences across England and Wales, with even greater increases recorded for violent offences including knife crime, sex offences and violence against the person.The rise in crime is accelerating with the latest figures showing a 13% rise in all police recorded offences across England and Wales, with even greater increases recorded for violent offences including knife crime, sex offences and violence against the person.
The latest set of crime figures also show an underlying 8% rise in the murder rate, with 629 homicides recorded in the 12 months to June excluding 35 people killed in the London and Manchester terror attacks and the 96 historic 1989 Hillsborough deaths, which were included in the headline figures. The latest crime figures also show an underlying 8% rise in the murder rate, with 629 homicides recorded in the 12 months to June excluding 35 people killed in the London and Manchester terror attacks and the 96 historic 1989 Hillsborough deaths, which were included in the headline figures.
The accelerating trend in the police recorded crime figures, from a 5% rise in the 12 months to June 2015, to 7% in the 12 months to June 2016, and now a 13% rise in the 12 months to this June together with even greater increases in violent crime, will sound alarm bells in Downing Street.The accelerating trend in the police recorded crime figures, from a 5% rise in the 12 months to June 2015, to 7% in the 12 months to June 2016, and now a 13% rise in the 12 months to this June together with even greater increases in violent crime, will sound alarm bells in Downing Street.
Theresa May might find some comfort in the results of the Crime Survey of England and Wales, which shows a 9% reduction in overall crime but is less effective at providing a good indication of changes in low-volume crimes, including most forms violent crime, or emerging trends. Theresa May might find some comfort in the results of the Crime Survey of England and Wales, which shows a 9% reduction in overall crime but is less effective at providing a good indication of changes in low-volume crimes, including most forms of violent crime, or emerging trends.
John Flatley of the Office of National Statistics said: “Today’s figures suggest that the police are dealing with a growing volume of crime. While improvements made by police forces in recording crime are still a factor in the increase, we judge that there have been genuine increases in crime – particularly in some of the low incidence but more harmful categories. John Flatley, of the Office for National Statistics, said: “Today’s figures suggest that the police are dealing with a growing volume of crime. While improvements made by police forces in recording crime are still a factor in the increase, we judge that there have been genuine increases in crime – particularly in some of the low-incidence but more harmful categories.
“Police figures cannot provide a good measure of all crime in society, since we know that a large volume of it never comes to their attention. The recent increases in recorded crime need to be seen in the context of the overall decline in crime indicated by the Crime Survey for England and Wales,” he said.“Police figures cannot provide a good measure of all crime in society, since we know that a large volume of it never comes to their attention. The recent increases in recorded crime need to be seen in the context of the overall decline in crime indicated by the Crime Survey for England and Wales,” he said.
More details soon . . . The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said: “The Tories can no longer hide behind claims that crime is falling to justify their severe cuts to the police.
“They have left our communities exposed, with police numbers the lowest on record at a time when forces are under unprecedented pressure from surging crime, an ongoing terror threat, and from covering for cuts to other services,” she said.
The ONS said that police recorded 5.2 million offences in the year to June – a rise of 13% over the previous figures – which reflected genuine increases in some crime categories as well as continuing improvements to some categories. The crime survey estimated there were 10.8m incidents, including 5m incidents of fraud, online crime and computer misuse. In contrast to the police figures it showed the majority of crime categories either falling or showing no statistical difference.
The quarterly crime figures also highlight the first time 711 deaths or serious injuries caused by illegal driving, a 6% rise over the previous year.
But it is the accelerating increases in the volume of violent crime reported to the police that will most alarm the public and politicians.
The ONS says the underlying 8% rise in the homicide rate to a total of 629 follows a general upward trend in recent years and contrasts with the previously downward trend over the previous decade. The headline figure of 664 homicides for the 12 months to this June shows headline fall of 2% compared to the previous year’s total of 679.
But once the 35 deaths in the London and Manchester terror attacks are excluded from the 2017 figure and the 96 historic Hillsborough deaths which were counted in the 2016 figure are excluded, the underlying 8% increase – an increase of 46 homicide victims – is revealed.
The increasingly violent nature of England and Wales is underlined by double-digit increases in types of violent crime which, although low volume, cause high harm and alarm. They include a 27% rise in gun crime to 6,696 offences, a 26% increase in knife crime to 36,998 offences, robbery up 25% to 64,499, sexual offences up 19% to 129,700 and stalking and harassment up 36% to 243,086 reported incidents.
The overall category of violence against the person that includes homicide, death or serious injury caused by illegal driving, violence with injury, violence without injury and stalking and harassment rose 19% to 1,229,260 reported incidents.
These figures were mirrored by similar double-digit increases in domestic violence and public order offences. Some categories of police recorded crime have fallen in the past year, including drug offences down 9% to 132,935, and non-domestic burglary.
The largest increases in violent crime were reported by South Yorkshire police, up 49% to 31,838 offences, Durham constabulary (up 48% to 16,532 offences), Greater Manchester police (up 46% to 76,404 offences) and by Northumbria police (up 39% to 35,458 offences).
But it will cause increasing political alarm that large-volume offences, such as burglary and car crime, which had been falling over the previous two decades, are now starting to rise again. Domestic burglary is up 21% to 235,335 while thefts are up 11% to 1.9m.