Reports of sexual offences increase and knife crime down in South Yorkshire

The latest police and crime plan performance report shows that the number of recorded domestic abuse crimes in South Yorkshire has slightly decreased, from 24,577 incidents in the 12 months to September 2023 to 23,565 in the 12 months to September 2024.

However, the arrest rate for domestic abuse crimes remains a concern, showing a slight dip from 44 per cent in 2023 to 42 per cent in 2024. High-risk domestic abuse cases, however, continue to see high arrest rates between 85 and 90 per cent.

The report also points to an increase in recorded sexual offences, which rose from 4,573 in 2023 to 5,006 in 2024.

The rise in sexual offence reporting has been viewed positively in the report, as it reflects greater victim confidence in coming forward.

Despite these increases, South Yorkshire Police’s charge and summons rates for sexual offences remain lower than the national average, though the force has seen higher-than-average charge rates for rape cases.

SYP has worked to improve support for vulnerable victims, with a dedicated domestic abuse team and a separate Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for children.

There were 46 referrals to the children’s SARC in Q2 2024, a notable increase compared to the previous quarter.

The overall crime rate in South Yorkshire shows a mixed picture – the number of anti-social behaviour reports fell slightly, from 25,644 in the 12 months to September 2023 to 25,396 in the following year.

Meanwhile, the total number of recorded crimes, excluding fraud, decreased by almost five per cent from 161,174 in 2023 to 153,516 in 2024.

Serious crimes involving knives or sharp instruments fell from 1,614 in 2023 to 1,492 in 2024, reflecting a positive downward trend. However, the report also highlighted that rates of proven re-offending, both for adults and youths, remain high compared to national averages.

While the adult re-offending rate stands at 30.7 per cent, compared to the England/Wales average of 25.7 per cent, youth re-offending has improved slightly but still sits above the national average of 32.8 per cent.

Public perception of the police remains a challenge, according to the report.

The percentage of people who believe the police are doing a good or excellent job decreased slightly, from 28 per cent in 2023 to 27 per cent in 2024. The figures also show a decrease in active referrals to restorative justice services.

Meanwhile, crime data shows a stable trend in total recorded crime across the region, with a slight reduction from last year. While residential burglary rates have decreased, there is still work to be done in tackling personal robbery and vehicle crime.

SYP is focusing on targeted patrols, improved investigative practices, and disrupting organized crime groups that are behind these offences. A new approach to retail crime, including a partnership with national retailers, is also yielding positive results.

The force also continues to tackle the growing challenge of road safety – in response to community concerns about speeding, unsafe parking, and off-road vehicle misuse, SYP’s roads policing unit has focused its enforcement in high-risk areas.

The long-term goal remains to reduce road traffic fatalities and serious injuries across South Yorkshire.