Violent crime soars pushing total offences past five million
A sharp rise in violent crime has catapulted the number of police-recorded offences in England and Wales to a staggering 5.2 million in the year to June – a 13% jump on the previous 12 months, new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal.
Violence Against the Person Crimes Spike 19%
The data shows violence against the person crimes surged by nearly a fifth (19%) to 1.2 million incidents. This alarming increase highlights the growing challenges police face on the streets across the nation.
ONS Confirms Genuine Rise, Not Just Better Reporting
John Flatley, head of crime statistics at the ONS, said: “While improvements made by police forces in recording crime are still a factor in the increase, we judge that there have been genuine increases in crime – particularly in some of the low incidence but more harmful categories.”
He cautioned that police figures don’t capture all crimes, as many go unreported:
“Police figures cannot provide a good measure of all crime in society, since we know that a large volume of it never comes to their attention.”
Crime Survey Paints Even Grimmer Picture
The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates there were a shocking 10.8 million incidents of crime in the same period – including fraud and computer misuse offences. Annual comparisons for these figures won’t be available until January.
Experts warn the upward trend in violent offences is part of a disturbing pattern seen over recent years. The police are clearly grappling with a growing tide of crime across the country.
