Warning to Government as crime continues to rise

Statistics released by the Home Office show a huge jump of more than a third in the city-region’s recorded crime figures over the past year (to December 2017). Whilst about half the increase is down to new rules about how crime is recorded, it still means a substantial increase in real crimes that affect the public.

It follows years of cuts to Greater Manchester Police and other agencies involved in community safety. Over the past eight years, more than 2,000 police officers have been cut from GMP, with its budget slashed by a quarter.

Responding to the figures, Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes said: “These figures should shock anyone who cares about community safety and it is time the Government had a wake-up call. The cuts to policing that the people of Greater Manchester have had to endure are having a real impact on our communities, with police having to make unacceptable decisions about what should be prioritised. It has to stop. 

“Greater Manchester has led the way in transforming policing services and improving how community safety and criminal justice partners work together. But we cannot ignore the impact of eight years of real term cuts on a police service that has lost a quarter of its police officers in the face of increasing challenge and demand.

“Our communities and our public servants deserve more from this Government that refuses to recognise the policing crisis, and the Mayor and I will continue to lobby ministers on this vital issue of community safety.”

The statistics show increases across the majority of crime types including sexual offences and violent crime.

“It’s important to remember that behind these figures are people and families who have been affected by crime, and we continue to see huge increases in reports of serious crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual offences. By encouraging more people to speak out we need to ensure the right support is in place to help victims recover,” the Deputy Mayor added.

“Today, for example, I have spoken at Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre’s Annual Conference about Greater Manchester’s drive to do things differently and transform how we commission services to better support victims and survivors of sexual violence. As Deputy Mayor I’m committed to ensuring we shape all our support services in this way to ensure the needs of victims are always central.”

Total recorded crime – 335,488 – 37% increase
Violence against a person – 91, 506 – 53% increase
Sexual offences – 9,131 – 44% increase
Burglary – 32, 944 – 13% increase
Robbery – 6,469 -  55% increase
Theft offences – 124, 285 – 13% increase
Vehicle crime – 30, 850 – 27% increase
Shoplifting – 17, 839 – 3% increase