Law - Detection Rate

The police detection rate for all recorded crimes has fallen to an all time low of only 24%, according to Home Office figures. While the annual police recorded crime figures show that the clear-up rate for burglary has fallen to the lowest ever level of only 12%, the statistics also show a worrying four point decline in detection rates for violent offences in the past year.

Overall, the crime figures show that the volume of recorded offences fell by 2.5% in the year to March 2001 to 5.2m offences, with the sharpest falls taking place in the burglary and car crime figures. These gains, however, were offset by a rise in violent crime for the third year in a row, but the rate of increase at 4.3% is slowing down when compared with the alarming 16% rise in the year 1999-00. The Home Office said the fall in police detection rates from 34% in 1989 to only 24% in the last financial year was partly explained by the exclusion from the statistics of secondary clear-ups, such as criminals admitting to other offences during prison visits by the police.

Officials admitted there did appear to be an underlying decline in the clear-up rate, particularly of violent crime where it had fallen from 59% to 55% in the last year alone. The home secretary, David Blunkett, said there had been gains in reducing burglaries (down 8%) and car crime (down 9%) but the continued increase in violent crime, particularly the 13% rise in robbery - mainly muggings rather than bank raids - in the past year caused concern. "There are no quick wins on crime - it is a long term investment," he said. "We have had real success with burglary and car crime but this was hard earned. These are significant and continued falls and mean we are now on track to meet our demanding national targets for reduction of both burglary and vehicle crime.

"One area of concern is the continued increase in robbery, which rose by 13%. However, the rate of rise is slowing significantly and is now half of the 26% increase for the previous 12 months. Part of this is due to a rise in mobile phone theft, which in some urban areas accounts for up to 40% of all robberies." The Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman, Simon Hughes, last night said the figures showing violent crime still rising, sharp regional variations and so few crimes being cleared up showed there was no room for complacency. "It is appalling that three out of four crimes go undetected. There must be a step change improvement in clearing up crime. Nothing is more likely to foster insecurity and fear of crime than so few crimes resulting in someone being brought to account for their actions. Increasing the certainty that offenders will be caught is a much greater de terrent than simply increasing the severity of sentences."

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