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| Crime: Number of suspects charged by police hits new low | Crime: Number of suspects charged by police hits new low |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Only about one in 14 crimes reported to police lead to a suspect being charged, official statistics have shown. | Only about one in 14 crimes reported to police lead to a suspect being charged, official statistics have shown. |
| Covering the year up to September 2019, the Home Office figures for England and Wales mark a new low, having fallen from about one in seven in 2015. | Covering the year up to September 2019, the Home Office figures for England and Wales mark a new low, having fallen from about one in seven in 2015. |
| It comes as knife crime recorded by police rose by 7% to an all-time high and robberies increased by 12%. | It comes as knife crime recorded by police rose by 7% to an all-time high and robberies increased by 12%. |
| But homicides - including murder and manslaughter - fell by 6% to 617 deaths, and fatal stabbings fell 20%. | But homicides - including murder and manslaughter - fell by 6% to 617 deaths, and fatal stabbings fell 20%. |
| The proportion of crimes leading to a prosecution in England and Wales has been in continuous decline since 2015, when the figures were first compiled this way. | The proportion of crimes leading to a prosecution in England and Wales has been in continuous decline since 2015, when the figures were first compiled this way. |
| Between September 2015 and September 2018, it had fallen from 14% to 8.4%, and it has now dropped again to 7.3% - about one in 14 cases. | Between September 2015 and September 2018, it had fallen from 14% to 8.4%, and it has now dropped again to 7.3% - about one in 14 cases. |
| In addition, 1.4% of crimes led to a caution, 2.3% led to an informal warning and 0.1% were "taken into consideration" - meaning an offender admitted them as part of another investigation. | In addition, 1.4% of crimes led to a caution, 2.3% led to an informal warning and 0.1% were "taken into consideration" - meaning an offender admitted them as part of another investigation. |
| Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said the fall in prosecutions was "extremely concerning". | Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said the fall in prosecutions was "extremely concerning". |
| "The public need to have confidence that the criminal justice system is finding, prosecuting and convicting criminals - so it is a serious problem that fewer crimes are being solved or dealt with," she said. | "The public need to have confidence that the criminal justice system is finding, prosecuting and convicting criminals - so it is a serious problem that fewer crimes are being solved or dealt with," she said. |
| She said MPs had previously warned that police forces were "badly overstretched" and that without additional funding, there would be "serious consequences for public safety". | She said MPs had previously warned that police forces were "badly overstretched" and that without additional funding, there would be "serious consequences for public safety". |
| Rape had the lowest rate of charges at just 1.4%, while for thefts it was 5.4% and for robberies it was 7.2%. | Rape had the lowest rate of charges at just 1.4%, while for thefts it was 5.4% and for robberies it was 7.2%. |
| 'A damaging vicious circle' | 'A damaging vicious circle' |
| The slump in the charging rate is arguably the most worrying feature of these latest statistics. | The slump in the charging rate is arguably the most worrying feature of these latest statistics. |
| It means 13 out of every 14 crimes are not being solved - offenders are still at large and able to commit further offences, fuelling the steady rise in crimes such as robbery. | It means 13 out of every 14 crimes are not being solved - offenders are still at large and able to commit further offences, fuelling the steady rise in crimes such as robbery. |
| There are some tentative signs that the rate of decline may be slowing - it was down only one-tenth of a percentage point in the last three months - and extra government investment in policing and the Crown Prosecution Service will undoubtedly help. | |
| But low detection levels dent public confidence in police and the criminal justice system, creating a damaging vicious circle in which people are less likely to co-operate with investigations - because they don't believe anything will happen. | But low detection levels dent public confidence in police and the criminal justice system, creating a damaging vicious circle in which people are less likely to co-operate with investigations - because they don't believe anything will happen. |
| Cases where the victim does not support criminal proceedings have risen sharply over five years, from 8.7% to 22.9%. | Cases where the victim does not support criminal proceedings have risen sharply over five years, from 8.7% to 22.9%. |
| In 43.4% of cases, no suspect could be identified. | In 43.4% of cases, no suspect could be identified. |
| It comes as separate crime figures show that police recorded 44,771 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to September 2019 - an increase of 7% to a new record high. | It comes as separate crime figures show that police recorded 44,771 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to September 2019 - an increase of 7% to a new record high. |
| Helen Ross, from the Office for National Statistics' Centre for Crime and Justice, said there is a "mixed picture" across the country for knife crime and "overall levels of violence remain steady". | Helen Ross, from the Office for National Statistics' Centre for Crime and Justice, said there is a "mixed picture" across the country for knife crime and "overall levels of violence remain steady". |
| "We have also seen the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was used decrease by a fifth, driven by falls in London," she said. | "We have also seen the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was used decrease by a fifth, driven by falls in London," she said. |
| The ONS said that although improvements in the way crime was recorded may have contributed to the 12% rise in robberies, to a total of 82,542 offences, some of the increase is "likely to reflect a real change". | The ONS said that although improvements in the way crime was recorded may have contributed to the 12% rise in robberies, to a total of 82,542 offences, some of the increase is "likely to reflect a real change". |
| The crime figures exclude Greater Manchester, due to technical issues with recording the data. | The crime figures exclude Greater Manchester, due to technical issues with recording the data. |
| The Crime Survey for England and Wales - which is considered better for judging long-term trends - suggests that overall crime rates are broadly stable. | The Crime Survey for England and Wales - which is considered better for judging long-term trends - suggests that overall crime rates are broadly stable. |
| But the survey shows that fraud rose by 9%, driven by a rise in bank and credit account fraud. | But the survey shows that fraud rose by 9%, driven by a rise in bank and credit account fraud. |