‘Shocking’ figures show 8% of muggings result in a charge, Lib Dems say | Police

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Just over 30,000 muggings in England and Wales didn’t even result in police identifying a suspect last year, according to research published by the liberal democrats has shown.

Just 8% of all personal property theft offenses reported to police last year saw someone charged, House of Commons library inquiry data showed.

West Midlands Police were the worst performing force by this metric, with 4% of reported robberies to their officers in 2022 leading to a charge, followed by Northamptonshire at 5%, with Avon and Somerset forces and Hampshire both managing 6%.

The investigation showed that in 30,079 personal property thefts reported in England and Wales in 2022, the cases were closed without a suspect being identified.

The data set is for theft of personal property involving violence or threats, the formal definition of robbery.

The Lib Dems said it showed the poor performance of Home Secretary Suella Braverman while she is “shrouded in scandal” such as claims that she asked officials to intervene in organizing a private speed awareness course after being caught speeding.

The party has called for a greater focus on more visible community policing.

Sarah Olney, Treasury spokeswoman for the Lib Dems, who asked the House of Commons library to carry out the inquiry, said: “These shocking figures show muggings are being effectively decriminalized, with far too many violent criminals released.

“People feel unsafe walking their own local streets, because this Conservative government has reduced neighborhood policing to a minimum,” he added. “Victims of crime are being abandoned while the interior minister brave sole It is embroiled in endless scandals.

“We need to see a return to proper community policing, make our streets safer, and end this free-for-all for criminals.”

Annual statistics for 2021-22 released last year showed that Recorded crime in England and Wales hit a 20-year high, with the proportion of offenses leading to prosecution at a new low.

In total, 5.6% of all crimes reported to the police led to a suspect being charged or cited, up from 7.1% the year before and 16% in 2014-2015. Home Office They showed the numbers.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Theft is an invasive and disturbing crime for victims and we expect all incidents to be taken seriously by the police.

“We are providing the police with the resources they need, having met our commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023, the highest level ever achieved.

“We are also supporting the police by providing funds for crime prevention measures, including better street lighting and CCTV, and by equipping the police with better technology to aid their investigations and catch more criminals.”