Crime levels hit highest record in 20 years across England and Wales
manchestereveningnews.co.ukPolice forces across England and Wales have recorded the highest number of crimes in 20 years. A total of 6.3 million crimes were recorded in the year leading up to March 2022 which is 4 per cent higher than the previous all-time high of 6.1 million in 2019/2020.
The figures have mainly been driven by a sharp increase in offences such as fraud, rape and violent attacks. The data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), recalled that knife crime, theft and domestic abuse have all increased over the 12 months leading up to March.
Police records also recalled that fraud and computer misuse have risen 17 per cent from 828,364 cases in 2020/21 to 965,162 cases in 2021/22. Read more: Pensioner guilty of manslaughter after slitting his wife's throat then trying to kill himself in failed suicide pact Knife crime has also risen by 10 per cent to 40,027 offences in the year leading up to March, compared to 44,642 offences in the previous year.
However, this is below the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20 which saw 55,078 offences. Domestic abuse-related offences also rose by 8 per cent compared to the previous year with 90.504 recorded cases.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk