Officer numbers fall violent crime rises in 10 years in Humberside figures reveal

The Police Federation says that "society just isn’t as safe as it once was", and that the public are being let down by cuts to police forces.

The latest Home Office data shows that Humberside Police had 1,886 officers in September, 221 more than they had a year earlier. It was the second consecutive year of increase.

But the number of officers is still significantly down on where it was in September 2010, when there were 2,001 – meaning a drop of six percent in eight years.

Over the same period, the number of crimes recorded by police has increased significantly.

In the 12 months to September 2010, 76,209 crimes were recorded by Humberside Police – a figure which rose to 83,952 in the year to September, an increase of 10 percent.

The number of violent crimes recorded rose markedly, doubling over the period. In total, 24,127 violent crimes were recorded in Humberside last year.

Police Federation of England and Wales chair John Apter said the public had been let down by the large cut in officers.

He said: “Society just isn’t as safe as it once was, and although the police service is doing everything within its power, we are swimming against the tide and it is the public who are being let down.

“The murder toll has increased from 649 deaths last year to 739, an annual increase for the fourth consecutive year. 

"This represents thousands of families and friends grieving all over the UK. The NHS says that hospital admissions in England alone from knife-related offences soared to 4,986 over the past 12 months.

“This is a terrifying picture for our communities whose lives are being blighted by violent crime on a daily basis. 

"This is not a coincidence; we need more boots on the ground to help combat this epidemic.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are ensuring the police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work. 

"Our 2019-20 police funding settlement provides the most substantial funding increase since 2010 – around £970m including council tax. 

"January’s quarterly crime statistics show that your chance of being a victim of crime remains low. 

"But we accept certain crimes, particularly some of the most serious violent crimes such as knife and gun offences, have increased and we are doing everything possible to reverse the trend."

Across England and Wales’s 43 police forces, the number of officers has dropped by 14 percent since September 2010. There were 122,000 last year.

Over the same period, crime increased by 11 percent, with 4.6 million incidents recorded in the most recent 12 months.

There were 1.3 million violent crimes recorded last year, nearly double the number in the 12 months to September 2010.