ALMOST 70 per cent of reported crimes in Oxfordshire are closed by the police with no further action, an investigation has revealed.

Data published by Police.uk has shown that on average, 67 per cent of crimes reported across the county between October 2020 and October 2021, did not lead to a resolution.

The reasons for the crimes not being solved included formal action or further investigation not being in the public interest, the case being closed as no suspect can be identified or the police being unable to prosecute the suspect.

Insufficient evidence being available to prosecute a suspect can also lead to a case being dropped.

Across Oxford, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse, and West Oxfordshire, Thames Valley Police recorded 50592 – of these 34022 were closed with no further action.

Oxford City Councillor, Louise Upton, who is the cabinet member for a Safer, Healthier Oxford, said that the numbers were ‘staggering’.

She said: “I was surprised by the high numbers, and I can see that the police just could not possibly have enough people to go and investigate all of those.

“Given what we know about the drop in police numbers in the last decade, the police must be under immense pressure, even though the numbers are lower than they have been in the past.

Violent and sexual offence crimes were the most likely offence to be closed with no further action, with 11736 being dropped.

The force said the reason for this trend is because there are a greater proportion of crimes reported in this group than the next largest grouping.

Romy Briant, who is chair of the Oxfordshire-based domestic abuse charity Reducing the Risk, said the data reflected a ‘lack of resources’ both within the police force and the court's service.

“Victims can feel very let down and lose trust in the police, but this is primarily because of a lack of resources both within the police and specialist police themselves and around the prosecution services.

“What we are very appreciative of is the police commitment to this field and trying to improve the processes for victims and their investigations.”

Cllr Upton also raised concerns about the number of violent and sexual offence crimes that were unsolved across the county.

She added: “That is a terrifying number that nearly 12,000 violence and sexual crimes are unsolved which means there were actually even more of them reported.

“I think that it is just a terribly sad reflection of the state of the nation that these crimes are happening.

“I do think given the drop in the number of police they are still doing a really good job.”

Between July 2020 and July 2021, according to data from Thames Valley Police, the force had a 'formal action taken' outcome of 18.3 per cent per cent.

This compared to the national average of 14.1 per cent for England and Wales.

This led to Thames Valley Police having sixth-highest positive outcome rates in the country.

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, said that he continuing to monitor ‘the progress of the force in delivering justice for victims’ of crimes.

He added: “Investment in additional officers, improved forensic capabilities, and work to improve the quality of investigations are all focused on improving the outcomes for victims and bringing more offenders to justice.

“Since the launch of Project Vigilant in 2019, a combination of uniformed and plain-clothed officers have carried out patrols in areas outside nightclubs, bars and pubs, to identify those individuals who may be displaying signs of predatory behaviour, such as sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and loitering.

“Further funding has been secured for this initiative in November 2021, which will be used to further support the important work of Project Vigilant in identifying people displaying predatory behaviour across Thames Valley.”

The Crime Tsar explained that his office also supports victims, and witnesses of crime, through its ‘Victims First’ service, which is available by calling 0300 1234 148 or by visiting www.victims-first.org.uk.

Thames Valley Police have said in light of the figures that ‘tackling violence and sexual offences remains a top priority for the force’.

A spokesperson for the force added: “We would always encourage victims of such crimes to come forward and report if they’ve been a victim of a violent or sexual offence so we can investigate thoroughly.

“In 2019, we launched Project Vigilant, which has now been adopted by a number of other forces across the country.

“We will continue to work hard to improve our service to victims of sexual and violent offences and with our key partners and stakeholders to ensure that victims are given the right care and support.”

The force said investigations all other crime types also ‘remains a top priority’ and investigations remain at the core of how police officers ‘catch criminals’ and provide the ‘best support’ possible for victims.

The spokesperson continued: “On occasions, however, cases remain unsolved. This can be for a number of reasons, such as formal action not being in the public interest, further investigation is not in the public interest, no suspect is able to be identified, or insufficient evidence is available to prosecute a suspect.

“However, investigations that are filed, are done so pending any further information coming to light, and can be reviewed should any new evidence or information become apparent.

“Violent and sexual offences have a higher number of cases unsolved is because there are a greater proportion of crimes reported in this group than the next largest grouping.

“Many of these cases will be of a domestic nature, and we would always urge victims to contact Thames Valley Police and report offences."

Victims can seek advice and information on how to report domestic abuse by visiting https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/police-forces/thames-valley-police/areas/c/2020/domestic-abuse/

If you've been a victim of sexual violence there are a number of services that can help:

  • The Rape Crisis national freephone helpline on 0808 802 9999 (12 to 2.30pm and 7 to 9.30pm every day of the year)
  • Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre can be reached on 01865 725311 or admin@osarcc.org.uk for appointments or referrals
  • Voluntary organisations such as Woman’s Aid, Victim Support, The Survivors Trust, or Survivors UK
  • The 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247

If you are in immediate danger contact the emergency services on 999