THE DARK FIGURE OF CRIME
SIX IN TEN CRIMES GO UNREPORTED
F EWER than half of all victims of crime report the crime to police, shocking figures reveal.
In fact, just four in 10 do so according to the Office for National Statistics.
Of the 60 per cent who don’t report crimes to the police, nearly a third said it was because they worry the crime was “too trivial”.
That was the most common reason why victims aged 16 and over didn’t report crimes in 2016/17.
More than three in every 10 victims (31 per cent) who didn’t report crimes said they failed to do so because they felt the police would not be able to do anything.
And nearly a fifth (18 per cent) said they felt the matter was private and dealt with it themselves.
A further 18 per cent felt the police would not be interested or bothered, while eight per cent said it would be inconvenient to report.
A further five per cent said they reported the crime to other authorities, and a similar proportion said the crime was a common occurrence so not necessary to report. Among rarer reasons for people not reporting a crime, one per cent of those who didn’t said it was because they felt the offender wasn’t responsible for their actions. Worryingly, some two per cent said they did not report the crime because they had a dislike or fear of the police, or had previous bad experience with police or courts. A spokesman for the National Police Chief’s Council said: “Placing victims at the heart of our policing strategies has been one of the top priorities for all forces in recent years.
“No system is perfect but we have made wholesale improvements in our national policies and procedures, and as a result far more victims than ever before are coming forward and getting the justice they deserve.
“Alongside our partners at the CPS, Ministry of Justice and HMCTS, we work hard to support all victims throughout the criminal justice process and our goal is to create an efficient, modern system which puts the needs of victims first. “We would like to again reassure the public that every report of crime will be listened to and investigated to the fullest possible extent, and we hope that the public’s trust in our ability to fight for all victims of crime will continue to grow.”