Crime in England and Wales reached record levels in the year leading up to June, driven in large part by a substantial rise in fraud offences, according to official statistics released recently. The total number of crimes recorded by the police surpassed seven million for the first time since modern crime recording began in the early 2000s, marking an 8 percent increase from the previous year.

The rise was largely attributed to a 41 percent surge in reported fraud cases, which climbed to more than 1.8 million incidents. The introduction in December last year of the Report Fraud service, managed by the City of London Police, enabled more effective logging of cybercrime and financial fraud, contributing to the sharp increase. Previous concerns over inadequate fraud reporting led to the previous system, Action Fraud, being criticized by lawmakers as “not fit for purpose.” A related survey estimated total fraud incidents, including unreported cases, to be around 4.5 million, reflecting an 11 percent rise.

Sexual offences also reached an all-time high, with police recording approximately 219,000 incidents in the year, equivalent to about 600 daily. Within this category, there were 74,484 recorded rapes, slightly lower than the peak two years prior, while other sexual crimes rose by 5 percent. Offences involving possession of weapons also climbed to historic highs, with 63,700 cases reported, including over 30,000 incidents involving blades or pointed weapons, an increase of nearly 9 percent.

Robbery statistics showed a 10 percent rise year-on-year, reaching over 88,000 cases, the highest since before the pandemic. Business robberies, often involving violent shop thefts, surged by 67 percent, exceeding 31,000. Meanwhile, personal property robberies declined by 7 percent. Shoplifting offenses decreased slightly by 2 percent to around 520,000 incidents. Retail representatives suggested that the growth in business robberies may reflect offenders’ increasing use of violence, which leads to crimes being recorded differently.

Political responses to the figures varied. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp attributed the crime surge to reductions in police numbers by 2,000 officers and early release of prisoners under the current Labour government. He warned that criminals were emboldened by a justice system failing victims, noting that 92 percent of crimes went unsolved. Philp urged support for policies aimed at increasing police officers by 10,000, enhanced hotspot policing, and tripled stop-and-search efforts.

The government countered these claims, with Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones highlighting decreases in specific crime categories since their election, including an 11 percent reduction in knife crime and 7 percent fewer homicides. Jones pointed to the addition of more than 3,800 neighborhood officers, new initiatives to reduce knife crime, and enhanced powers to recover stolen goods as measures contributing to safer streets. Officials also noted investment of £250 million over three years to combat fraud.

The data also revealed a continuing low rate of suspects being charged or summonsed, standing at 8.5 percent in the year to March, though this was an increase from 7.3 percent the previous year. Nonetheless, this remains significantly below the 15.5 percent rate recorded in 2015. Additionally, community resolutions—alternative sanctions allowing offenders to avoid prosecution through reparative actions—rose by 9 percent to nearly 189,000 cases, marking a record high.

Notable criminal cases during the period included a violent daylight robbery at a family-run jewelry store in Richmond, south-west London. Three men were sentenced in July after stealing £225,000 worth of gems. Another gang using tunnels to burglarize jewelers in south London was arrested while attempting a break-in, with charges pending sentencing at Kingston Crown Court. Furthermore, a member of a notorious gang targeting tourists in London’s West End was sentenced to nearly three years for the robbery of a £65,000 watch.

While some crime categories displayed nuanced trends, the overall statistics underscore ongoing challenges in crime prevention and enforcement amid rising incidents across several key areas.