Nearly 95% of crimes go unsolved as Labour slams 'national scandal' of Government's law and order record
30 July 2023, 22:32 | Updated: 30 July 2023, 22:34
A staggering 94.3% of crimes went unsolved in the last year according to new figures - as Labour slams the Government for its 'abysmal' crime record.
Home Office data shows that only 5.7% of crimes reported resulted in a charge or summons from April 2022 to April 2023 - with 2.3 million crimes dropped without a single suspect being identified.
The figures cover England and Wales and come as Labour tries to bolster its own credentials on law and order - a policy area which Conservative MPs are traditionally trusted on more than the opposition.
Read More: David Lammy says 'disappearing' neighbourhood policing is leading to increased crime
Charge rates for sexual offences are still noticeably low - with 3.6% of those reported resulting in prosecution.
Only 6.5% of robbery offences ended with someone being charged - after The Telegraph revealed that in nearly half of the 30,100 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, no reported burglaries were solved in the three years ending in March 2023.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the figures were a "national scandal" as Labour pledged to boost the numbers of crimes solved if the party wins the next election.
Labour has committed to introducing a new requirement for police forces to directly recruit detectives in order to buck a national shortage of sleuths.
The party, which is expected to win the next general election, will target people in the business fraud and child protection areas to bolster the number of inspectors in Britain.
Ms Cooper said: "After 13 years of Tory government, over 90% of crimes are going unsolved.
"That is the abysmal Conservative record on law and order - more criminals being let off and more victims being let down.
"For some serious crimes, like rape and robbery, the charge rate is now so low it constitutes a national scandal.
"For far too long in this country, too many crimes have been committed without any consequences. Victims increasingly feel like no-one comes and nothing is done. Labour is determined this has to change."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Since 2010, our communities are safer - with neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft down 51% and serious violent crime down 46%.
"The Government has delivered more police officers than ever in England and Wales and the Home Secretary expects police to improve public confidence by getting the basics right - catching more criminals and delivering justice for victims.
"As part of the Beating Crime Plan, we have also committed to giving every single person in England and Wales access to the police digitally through a national online platform.
"This will allow the public to access a range of interactive police services in one place, including information on neighbourhood police officers and their contact details, allowing them to raise concerns with neighbourhood officers directly."
