Yvette Cooper comments on new crime statistics

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on new crime statistics published today, said:

"Today's crime statistics, with the appalling increase in shoplifting and town centre crime alongside rising serious violence, are a disgraceful indictment of 13 years of Conservative failure on law and order.

"Shoplifting has reached epidemic levels driven by organised criminal gangs, with a 25% surge over the past 12 months alone. But the Tories' shoplifting charter means offences under £200 are rarely enforced and town centre police patrols have been cut as there are still 10,000 fewer neighbourhood police than in 2015.

"Knife crime, gun crime and robbery have all increased, with over 50,000 knife crimes this past year alone - and over 90% of crimes remain unsolved.

"Labour will scrap the £200 rule which stops shoplifting being investigated, put guaranteed neighbourhood patrols back into town centres with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs and establish a 10-year programme to support young people at risk of violence. Our mission is to make our streets and town centres safe again."

Ends

Notes:

• New crime and crime outcomes statistics for the year ending June 2023 published by the ONS and Home Office today:
• • Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
  • Crime outcomes year to June 2023: data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• These figures show a 25% rise in recorded shoplifting over the past 12 months, a 3% increase in knife crime (to 50,833 offences), an 11% increase in robbery, and a 13% increase in gun crime:
• • Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
  • • “Police recorded theft increased by 10% (to 1.7 million offences) compared with the year ending June 2022. This rise was predominantly the result of increases in theft offences against businesses, such as shoplifting (a 25% increase to 365,164 offences)”
• Outcomes figures show that over 90% of crimes remain unsolved:
• • Charges – 5.7%
  • TIC – 0.1%
  • Out-of-court disposals – 3.3%
  • Outcome 22 – 0.6%
  • TOTAL SOLVED – 9.6%
  • Crime outcomes year to June 2023: data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Table 2.1
• Record number of crimes dropped without a suspect being found (2.3 million)
• • Crime outcomes year to June 2023: data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Table 3.1
• Labour has committed to a new Community Policing Guarantee, including scrapping the £200 rule on shoplifting and establishing guaranteed town centre patrols Starmer launches community policing guarantee to get “more police in your town, fighting antisocial behaviour, taking back our streets” – The Labour Party