Just one in 11 crimes lead to charges in Shropshire and Mid Wales
Fewer than one in 11 crimes reported to West Mercia Police result in someone appearing before a court, new figures reveal today.
The latest Home Office data shows suspects are far less likely to be charged or issued with a summons than they were five years ago.
Just nine per cent of crimes reported to the West Mercia force resulted in a charge or summons in the year to March. The figure is the same over the border in Dyfed-Powys.
Someone was charged or ordered to appear before the court in West Mercia on 7,497 occasions over the year – down 972 on the previous 12 months.
The rate is just over half what it was in the year to March 2015, when 17 per cent of crimes resulted in a suspect being brought to justice.
In Dyfed-Powys the fall was even greater, as in 2014/15 19 per cent of crimes in the area led to a charge or summons.
More:
The numbers reflect a wider picture across England and Wales, where the proportion of crimes resulting in a charge or summons dropped to seven per cent in the year to March, down from 17 per cent in 2015.
The figures showed 31 per cent of cases in West Mercia were closed as a result of no suspect being identified.
A further 37 per cent of cases were dropped because the victim did not want further action. This figure is well above the England and Wales average of 24 per cent, itself a record high and more than double the 2014/15 figure of 10 per cent.
West Mercia Deputy Chief Constable Julian Moss acknowledged there had been a decrease in prosecutions over the past five years, both within the force and on a national level.
Improve
He welcome the Government's commitment to increasing officer numbers.
“In addition to increased uniformed officers in West Mercia, we are also in the process of recruiting an additional 88 specialist detective and investigator roles," said Mr Moss.
"This will help us further improve our investigative capability and the quality of service victims receive."
Mr Moss said the force had been reviewing the way its investigation teams operated to make them better equipped to solve ever-more complex crimes.
He added that improvements in the way crime was categorised and recorded had led to an increase in recorded crime figures.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners across the CPS and HM Courts and Tribunal Service, and remain committed to bringing more offenders to justice and provide reassurance to victims and the public," said Mr Moss.
A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service in the West Midlands said the figures were part of a long-term trend, reflecting a decrease in cases referred by the police.
“The CPS does not investigate crime, or choose which cases to consider," she said.
“We expect that the ongoing recruitment of 20,000 more police officers will lead to an increase in cases coming into the criminal justice system.
“The CPS is using an additional £85 million in funding to recruit almost 500 new staff including prosecutors, paralegals and caseworkers to manage this work.”
Consequence
Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, said the figures were extremely concerning.
She said: “How can public confidence in the criminal justice system be sustained if fewer crimes are being dealt with and solved each year?"
Miss Cooper said the committee had repeatedly warned that this was a consequence of forces being overstretched for several years.
The Home Office said it was the responsibility of chief constables and police and crime commissioners to make sure criminal cases are investigated properly.
The likelihood of a crime resulting in a charge could vary by how severe or complex the cases is, or how difficult it is to identify a suspect, a spokeswoman said.
She added that the lower charge rates were likely to be the result of more crimes being recorded by police and forces taking on more complex cases which could take longer to resolve.
Marc Jones, performance lead at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said that overall the figures show a "worryingly steady decline" in the number of suspects being charged or summoned.
"People need to have confidence in policing and the criminal justice system and PCCs, as locally elected criminal justice leaders, will continue to drive a more accountable system anchored in the needs of our communities," he added.
