New statistics out today show the overall charge rate - the
proportion of crimes which result in a suspect being arrested and
then charged - has fallen to a record low of just 5.4%.
According to today’s shocking crime statistics, arrests have
dropped by 15,000 in just two years.
The rate of criminals being charged a year has fallen to a record
low of 5.4% - down from over 15% just seven years ago.
The total number of criminals charged stands at 370,000 - down
from almost 600,000 in 2015 (a fall of 36%). Meanwhile, the
proportion receiving cautions and community penalties is also
down by nearly two-thirds from 2015.
Over the past year, two million investigations were dropped with
no suspect identified, including over 300,000 violent crimes and
over a million thefts.
Meanwhile, new arrest statistics show that total arrests have
more than halved under the Conservatives - with 15,000 fewer
arrests than pre-pandemic, and 777,000 fewer arrests than in
2010.
Despite the Conservatives’ promises, there are over 6,000 fewer
neighbourhood officers than in 2015, and 8,000 fewer PCSOs than
in 2010.
Labour will restore neighbourhood policing, with 13,000 new
neighbourhood officers, PCSOs and specials out on patrol in local
teams to keep the public safe.
MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, said:
“After 12 years of the Conservatives more criminals are getting
away with it, fewer criminals are being arrested or
charged, and more victims are being let down.
“For the charge rate to now be at a record low is a complete
disgrace and unfair on victims and communities who need to see
justice.
“The Home Secretary has no plan to turn this around. Labour
has a fully-costed plan to put 13,000 extra neighbourhood police
and PCSOs on our streets, fighting crime at its source and
supporting communities.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- New statistics were published today on crime outcomes for the
year ending June 2022, and arrest statistics for the year ending
March 2022:
- The proportion of crimes leading to a charge has fallen to a
record low of 5.4%, whilst the proportion of crimes leading to an
out-of-court disposal fell to a record low of 3.5% (Table
2.3)
- The total number of charges has fallen to 373,136, down from
587,091 in the year ending June 2015: (Table 3.1) Crime outcomes in
England and Wales, year to June 2015: data tables - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk)
- The total number of cases which ended with an outcome code of
‘Investigation complete - no suspect identified’ was 2,063,919.
This included 317,436 violent offences, and 1,145,254 theft
offences (including burglary) (Tables 3.1 / 3.2)
- The number of arrests made by police for notifiable offences
was as follows:
- Year ending March 2010 - 1,342,000
- Year ending March 2015 - 919,000
- Year ending March 2020 - 662,000
- Year ending March 2022 - 647,000
