More than 37,000 crimes in Sheffield unsolved over last year

According to data on police.uk, there was a combined total of 68,360 crimes recorded across the city’s four policing areas – Sheffield Central and North West, Sheffield North East, Sheffield South East and Sheffield South West – between December 2018 and November 2019.

Of those, a total of 37,607 offences were unsolved as police could not identify a suspect or they were unable to prosecute a suspect.

South Yorkshire Police’s Performance and Governance Superintendent Colin McFarlane said: “Our focus in all reports of crime is the victims. We put victims at the front and centre of our investigations and are committed to providing the best possible service to them.

“We have a number of processes in place to work through the details of reported incidents in order to identify the severity of a crime, the wider risks to our communities and if there are active lines of enquiry. These are used to prioritise incidents and the resources needed to protect our communities and bring offenders to justice.

“In some instances when an incident is reported there may not be any viable lines of enquiry. This can be due to a lack of forensic evidence, DNA, witnesses or CCTV opportunities. In these cases, identifying a suspect may not be possible. However, if further evidence becomes available, or if potential links to other crimes are identified, these are fully investigated.

“In some reports this can lead to suspects remaining unidentified, however this trend is consistent with forces across the country. I’d like to reiterate all reports of crime are taken very seriously and dedicated teams of officers carry out specialist operations and work in close partnership with community and partner agencies to improve safety and prevent reoffending.

“Our neighbourhood policing model sees high visibility officers working to directly prevent and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in our local communities. Detectives working in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) function also work closely with our neighbourhood policing teams and strengthen service to our communities.

“Our priority is to keep the people of South Yorkshire safe, while continuing to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.”