Theft arrests drop 40% in six years in 'embarrassment' for Suella Braverman

26 September 2023 , 19:38

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New figures reveal a drop in the number of arrests for theft and criminal damage (file image) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Arrests for theft, fraud and criminal damage have plummeted in the past six years - with theft figures down by a staggering 40% - new data shows.

Stats released by the Home Office revealed 88,684 suspects were arrested by police on suspicion of stealing last year, compared to 141,207 in 2017/18. The figures were dubbed a "disgrace and a shameful embarrassment for Suella Braverman " by Labour.

Fraud arrests dropped from almost 9,500 to below 5,000 in the same period, while 7,000 fewer criminal damage and arson suspects were collared last year than six years earlier. Yvette Cooper, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said: "These bombshell statistics are a disgrace and a shameful embarrassment for Suella Braverman, on the day of her Washington speech."

The figures were released on the day Home Secretary Ms Braverman gave a speech to a US think-tank in Washington DC demanding UN rules protecting refugees are ripped up. The Home Office data also shows a massive fall in overall arrests, with 677,261 recorded by police forces in England and Wales.

This is down from over 1.3 million in the year the Tories came to power. Ms Cooper continued: "The number of arrests for theft has dropped by a shocking 40 per cent in five years - meaning 50,000 fewer thieves are arrested each year.

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"Arrests have halved on the Conservatives' watch since 2010, which means more criminals are getting off and more victims are being let down. It’s no good the Home Secretary grandstanding abroad, when she is failing so disastrously on law and order back at home."

The data did, however, show that the number of people taken into custody on suspicion of violence against the person, possession of weapons and sex offences had gone up.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to crime and ensuring those responsible face the full force of the law. There has been significant progress over the last five years, as arrests for violent and sexual offences have both increased sharply.

“The police have also made progress in preventing crime across the country, with neighbourhood offences like burglary, robbery and vehicle theft down by 51% since 2010.

“As we recently announced, police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime.”

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Dave Burke