DEMANDS FOR MORE POLICE AS THE CRIME RATE SOARS
THE nation is in the grip of a surge in violent crime, figures have revealed.
Shocking statistics show that offences of violence have soared by 18 per cent in just 12 months.
They come as a separate report showed the number of police officers has fallen to its lowest level since 1985.
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation which represents rank and file officers, said: “What more of a wake-up call does the government need?
“Officer numbers are dropping consistently every year yet our members are having to deal with not only more crimes, but the most unimaginable atrocities such as those in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge.
“Particularly worrying is the drop in frontline and neighbourhood officers when we all know that community policing is fundamental in tackling both traditional crimes like burglary and the terror threat.”
Concern
Gun crimes are up 24 per cent while knife offences have increased by a fifth over the same period.
The soaring number of attacks along with an increase in sex crimes and thefts are behind the largest annual increase in crimes recorded in a decade.
The number of crimes in England and Wales was nearly five million in the year to March 2017.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures mark a 10 per cent rise compared with the same 12-month period a year earlier.
Police recorded 458,021 more offences, which the ONS said was partly driven by a rise in violence against the person, which soared to 175,060 offences. Sexual offences rose 14 per cent to the highest level since new recording standards were introduced in 2002, although the year-on-year rate of increase slowed.
A long-term decline in the rate of thefts was also reversed. They rose by seven per cent to 118,774.
Public order offences jumped 39 per cent to 78,697.
The figures predate the horrific terror attacks in Manchester and at London Bridge.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne, of the National Police Chiefs Council, said: “The 10 per cent rise in police recorded crime causes us concern, particularly when the number of police officers is at its lowest since 1985.
“There are genuine rises in a range of crimes like theft, knife crime and some types of violent crime, including homicide, and high numbers of people targeted by fraud and cyber offences.”
Rachel Almeida, Victim Support’s head of policy, said: “This is a great cause for concern, especially given the increase in recorded violent crimes, threatening behaviour and theft.
“These types of crime can cause deep emotional, physical and psychological effects on victims.”
The ONS figures showed there were 5,800 more offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, and an increase of 1,200 involving a firearm.
There were 723 homicides, an increase of 149 on the previous year, a 26 per cent rise.
But the ONS did say the figure included the 96 alleged manslaughter victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
Robbery was up 16 per cent to around 8,000 offences.
Threats
A separate measure, the Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW), reported 11 million offences, including new experimental figures for fraud and cyber crimes.
But an overall seven per cent reduction was recorded by the CSEW when fraud and cyber crimes were excluded – down from 6.3 million to 5.9 million.
Downing Street said the CSEW – previously known as the British Crime Survey – was the “more reliable” measure.
Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: “We recognise that crime is changing and we are determined to get ahead of new and emerging threats to the safety and security of our families and communities.”
RISING levels of violence, theft and sex offences have driven the largest annual increase in recorded crime in a decade. Consider that statistic alongside the recent spate of terrifying acid attacks, not to mention a wave of crimes carried out by moped-riding gangs, and it becomes clear that the Government has to do more to keep our streets safe.
Police numbers are at their lowest level since 1985. The obvious course for Home Secretary Amber Rudd is to recruit more officers and get more bobbies out on the beat. But, as ever, money alone will not solve the problem.
Those at the top of the police force need to recognise that violent crimes are the ones that most worry members of the public. With levels rising, stopping these offences has to be the overwhelming priority. If that means spending less time on politically correct projects such as sending officers on diversity training courses or tracking down offensive social media users, then so much the better.