Number of arrests of suspected criminals halved within a decade

Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation think tank, said: “When the composition of reported crime shifts towards sexual offences and cybercrime, which are difficult to investigate, the arrest rate falls. It is relatively easy to investigate burglaries, car thefts and so on. But these now make up a much smaller proportion of reported crime.”

“In addition, we have seen a much greater use of diversion and parole programs and community solutions, particularly for young and first-time offenders. The aim is to prevent these children and youth from sliding into a life of crime by diverting them to some type of program when they commit their first offense.”

The number of young people entering the prison system has fallen from 30,000 to 8,400 in a decade, while the number of offenders receiving a suspended sentence, which does not require arrest, has risen from 124,000 to 145,000. With a suspended sentence, the offender only has to admit guilt and apologize to his victim to avoid being placed on the criminal record.

Backroom jobs

Although police numbers have reached record levels, the number of police personnel has remained unchanged, meaning many officers are working in the background rather than on the front lines tackling crime.

Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper blamed the Tories for the fall in arrests and the fact that 90 percent of crimes go unsolved, while “more criminals get away and more victims are abandoned.”

According to Cooper, the Labour Party plans to increase the number of its neighbourhood police officers by 13,000 and halve knife crime and violence against women and girls within a decade.

“We are committed to restoring trust in policing and the criminal justice system. That means reform. It also means putting police back on the streets, back in our communities,” she said.