Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the crime statistics published today, said:

“Today’s figures issue a fresh warning against complacency from this Government, with some troubling rises in recorded crime on the same day we learn that 17,000 police officers have been cut over the last five years.

“The first increase in knife crime for many years is very concerning, particularly as we know neighbourhood policing and strong community partnerships are the key to preventing knife crime and getting knives off the street. Similarly with a 23 per cent increase in recorded violent crime, many people will be rightly concerned that neighbourhood policing is under threat when it should be protected.

“And while the 37 per cent increase in sexual offences is no doubt connected to more victims coming forward, the scale of sexual offending in this country and the criminal justice system’s response is shocking.

“The police recorded nearly double the number of rapes compared to just five years ago, yet still the vast majority of offences do not result in an arrest or prosecution. In 2014/15 there were 29,265 recorded rapes, but only 2,581 convictions. In the last five years the number of convictions has increased by only 300, compared to over 14,000 more recorded crimes. There needs to be a step change in how we tackle sexual offences in this country, with greater police resource focused on these life-changing, high harm crimes.

“The Government should think long and hard about how their spending decisions will affect frontline policing. Labour set out a costed plan to find £800m in savings from the police budget without impacting on the frontline, but so far the Government are committed to cutting more frontline police instead. It’s got to stop.”