London, United Kingdom – Nearly 4.8 million crimes went unsolved in England and Wales in the last year, raising questions about the performance of law enforcement.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, around 2.3 million of these crimes were abandoned without any resolution, a rate of about four every minute. Additionally, analysis from the Labour Party revealed that nearly 1.6 million investigations were dropped because the victim withdrew their support, highlighting a lack of faith in the justice system. Another 872,000 inquiries were abandoned due to evidential difficulties, despite a suspect being identified.
This surge in unsolved crimes is particularly concerning given the record levels of police officers in the last four years. The “police uplift” program has increased the number of officers in England and Wales from 129,110 to 147,430, with significant financial investment from the government to support this effort.
Despite the increase in resources, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, blamed the Conservative government for the surge in unsolved crimes, calling it a “disgraceful record on law and order.” However, Police Minister Chris Philp pushed back, accusing the Labour Party of hypocrisy and stating that only the Conservative government is taking the necessary long-term decisions to support law enforcement.
In the year leading up to June, 4,772,503 crimes were reported in England and Wales, with 1.7 million violent crimes and 1.6 million thefts remaining unsolved. The number of crime victims withdrawing their support from police investigations has also increased, emphasizing the challenges faced by law enforcement in solving cases.
The surge in unsolved crimes raises concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement and the criminal justice system in England and Wales. However, government officials and opposition members continue to debate the reasons behind this surge, with no clear resolution in sight.