Sheffield crime: Reports of violence in South Yorkshire rocket by 36 per cent, new figures show

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that the number of offences categorised as ‘violence against the person’ that were reported to South Yorkshire Police (SYP) in the year ending September 2022 increased to 57,711 from 42,309 in the year ending September 2018, representing a rise of 15,402 or 36.4 per cent.

The violence against the person crime category encompasses a range of offences from minor offences such as harassment and common assault, to serious offences such as murder, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

The number of reports made to SYP has consistently risen throughout the last five years, despite a significant fall in most crime categories reflecting the impact in Covid-19 lockdowns. There have also been significant rises the number of reports made to SYP in other crime categories involving violence.

The number of reports of violence with injury increased from 14,218 in the year ending September 2018 to 16,399 in the year ending Septmber 2022, representing a rise of 2,181 or 15.33 per cent; while the number of reports classified as violence without injury has increased by 8,314 per cent in the last five years, representing a rise of 64.91 per cent.

Detective Superintendent David Cowley, force lead for serious violent crime, said: “South Yorkshire, along with many other forces, has seen an increase in reports of violent offences over the last five years. Even taking into consideration the expected dip in reports while we went through the pandemic, most forces in the country will now have experienced either a return to, or increase on, pre-pandemic levels of recorded crime.”

He added: “Understanding the reasons for violent crime is incredibly complex and there are many things to take into consideration…Research has shown that the high-visibility presence of officers in those areas acts as a deterrent to those who would engage in violence, but also builds our relationships with those communities that have been deeply affected by violent crime, hopefully leading to increased reporting from the public as they see us taking action.”

“We also have our dedicated Armed Crime Team, who investigate all reports of armed criminality across South Yorkshire. Some of our violent crime will, worryingly, involve the use of a firearm and we know that whenever incidents like this happen, the public are rightly shocked and concerned.

“The Armed Crime Team has proven to be an invaluable resource in our ongoing commitment to tackle violent and organised crime – executing warrants, making arrests and taking dangerous weapons off the streets,” Det Supt Cowley continued.

West Yorkshire Police (WYP) and Nottinghamshire Police (NP) are grouped with South Yorkshire Police in a list of eight similar-sized police forces created by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and we have compared the ONS figures for those forces for context.

The ONS figures show there has been a similar increase of 38.21 per cent in the number of reports of violence against the person made to WYP, with the number increasing from 95,401 in the year ending September 2018 to 131,856 in the year ending September 2022, representing a rise of 36,455. In Nottinghamshire, the number of reports of violence against the person have risen by 21.66 per cent over the last five years.

The number of reports of violence with injury made to WYP and NP have increased by 11.30 per cent and 3.62 per cent, respectively, over the last five years; and the number of reports of violence without injury made to NP and WYP have increased by 42.17 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.

Commenting on the SYP response to a rise in violent crime in South Yorkshire, Det Supt Cowley added: “We also must take into consideration the fact that some of these offences will include violence against women and girls (VAWG), which is an important focus for us. Our VAWG campaign launched last year to raise awareness of the many ways women and girls are subjected to microaggressions and made to feel unsafe, as well as calling upon the public to challenge this behaviour. If this type of behaviour is not called out, is not challenged, it can in some cases lead to serious sexual or physical violence, as well as other forms of abuse.

“I understand that seeing increases in violent crime presented in data like this can be concerning and what’s crucial to remember is that behind every statistic is a victim who may have been seriously hurt as a result of the actions of another. We don’t lose sight of this, and our absolute priority is always to keep the public safe and protect you from harm. We do all that we can to ensure that victims of violence are safeguarded from further harm and offered support, as well as working hard to identify those involved in violent crime, to apprehend them and wherever possible bring them before the courts.”