Chris Grayling
Shadow Minister (Home Affairs)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) murders and (b) sexual offences recorded in (i) each police force area and (ii) England and Wales, in each year since 1998 remain unsolved.
Alan Johnson
The Secretary of State for the Home Department
The available information is given in the form of tables showing undetected crime in each financial year from 1998-99 to 2008-09. Tables 1 and 2 show the numbers for undetected homicides; tables 3 and 4 those for undetected sexual offences. As offences detected in the current year may initially have been recorded in an earlier year it is not possible to determine the numbers of undetected crime in a particular year.
It should be noted that non-sanction detections, which contribute to the overall detection rates, have fallen in recent years. This reflects a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections where no further action is taken. This will have had an impact on the number of crimes which remain undetected.
| Table 1: Undetected homicides by police force area - 1998/99 to 2001/02 | ||||
| Undetected | ||||
| 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
| Avon and Somerset | 2 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
| Bedfordshire | -1 | -2 | 3 | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | -2 | 0 | -1 | 4 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cleveland | 0 | 1 | -2 | 1 |
| Cumbria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Derbyshire | 0 | 2 | 1 | -2 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| Dorset | 2 | -3 | 0 | 5 |
| Durham | 0 | -2 | -1 | 0 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| Essex | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Greater Manchester | -8 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Gwent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Hampshire | -1 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Hertfordshire | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| Humberside | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Kent | -1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Lancashire | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| Leicestershire | -2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lincolnshire | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| London, City of | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merseyside | 0 | -2 | 7 | 13 |
| Metropolitan Police | 20 | 45 | 19 | 55 |
| Norfolk | 2 | -2 | 2 | 3 |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Northumbria | -1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| North Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Yorkshire | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nottinghamshire | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| South Wales | 1 | 4 | 0 | -6 |
| South Yorkshire | 1 | 1 | -1 | 6 |
| Staffordshire | 4 | 2 | 3 | -3 |
| Suffolk | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
| Surrey | 1 | 1 | 7 | -3 |
| Sussex | 4 | -1 | 5 | 5 |
| Thames Valley | 3 | 4 | 4 | -1 |
| Warwickshire | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| West Mercia | -2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| West Yorkshire | -1 | 0 | -1 | 8 |
| Wiltshire | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| England and Wales | 39 | 73 | 84 | 123 |
| Note: Offences detected in any given year may have been previously recorded in an earlier year. When offences detected in the year exceed the number recorded a negative value is shown. | ||||
| Table 2: Undetected homicides by police force area-2002-03 to 2008-09 | |||||||
| Undetected | |||||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
| Avon and Somerset | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bedfordshire | -1 | 0 | -1 | 3 | -4 | -2 | 1 |
| British Transport Police | -1 | 43 | -3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cambridgeshire | -2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cheshire | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -2 | -2 | 2 |
| Cleveland | 2 | -1 | 1 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cumbria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derbyshire | 2 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | -1 |
| Dorset | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
| Durham | -2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Essex | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 | -3 | 2 | -1 |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 7 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| Gwent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Hampshire | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 4 | -1 | 4 | -2 | 1 | -1 |
| Humberside | 1 | 5 | -32 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kent | -1 | -1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Lancashire | 4 | 19 | -20 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -2 | 1 |
| Lincolnshire | -3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| London, City of | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| Merseyside | 11 | 9 | 12 | -2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Metropolitan Police | 37 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 27 | 18 | 14 |
| Norfolk | 2 | 0 | -1 | 4 | -2 | 1 | 2 |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Northumbria | -1 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -2 |
| North Wales | 7 | -5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -3 |
| North Yorkshire | -2 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | -1 | 1 | -3 | 3 | -3 | 2 |
| South Wales | -4 | 3 | -2 | 5 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| South Yorkshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Staffordshire | 5 | 0 | -2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suffolk | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Surrey | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | -1 | 1 | -1 |
| Sussex | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1 |
| Thames Valley | 7 | 5 | -3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | -4 |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 | 0 | -1 | -1 |
| West Mercia | 0 | 3 | 2 | -2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| West Midlands | 15 | 0 | -4 | 8 | -3 | 6 | 5 |
| West Yorkshire | -3 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Wiltshire | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| England and Wales | 130 | 137 | 6 | 71 | 69 | 69 | 44 |
| Note : Offences detected in any given year may have been previously recorded in an earlier year. When offences detected in the year exceed the number recorded a negative value is shown. | |||||||
| Table 3: Undetected sexual offences by police force area-1998-99 to 2001-02 | ||||
| Undetected | ||||
| 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
| Avon and Somerset | 394 | 441 | 673 | 915 |
| Bedfordshire | 260 | 279 | 250 | 269 |
| Cambridgeshire | 241 | 232 | 278 | 378 |
| Cheshire | 106 | 76 | 90 | 113 |
| Cleveland | 104 | 93 | 95 | 87 |
| Cumbria | 35 | 37 | 30 | 49 |
| Derbyshire | 299 | 405 | 482 | 430 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 236 | 162 | 229 | 484 |
| Dorset | 213 | 225 | 253 | 316 |
| Durham | 82 | 49 | 58 | 181 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 28 | 23 | 21 | 28 |
| Essex | 695 | 620 | 711 | 721 |
| Gloucestershire | 172 | 176 | 189 | 165 |
| Greater Manchester | 1,242 | 1,354 | 1,340 | 1,599 |
| Gwent | 132 | 97 | 55 | 56 |
| Hampshire | 189 | 663 | 794 | 822 |
| Hertfordshire | 170 | 181 | 289 | 207 |
| Humberside | 501 | 569 | 516 | 651 |
| Kent | 499 | 486 | 674 | 702 |
| Lancashire | 455 | 385 | 531 | 691 |
| Leicestershire | 414 | 471 | 437 | 526 |
| Lincolnshire | 129 | 116 | 123 | 225 |
| London, City of | 20 | 16 | 9 | 16 |
| Merseyside | 335 | 423 | 467 | 657 |
| Metropolitan Police | 6,447 | 7,911 | 7,566 | 8,057 |
| Norfolk | 168 | 196 | 216 | 281 |
| Northamptonshire | 153 | 97 | 81 | 165 |
| Northumbria | 531 | 607 | 553 | 649 |
| North Wales | 75 | 72 | 169 | 262 |
| North Yorkshire | 65 | 118 | 125 | 145 |
| Nottinghamshire | 603 | 675 | 740 | 875 |
| South Wales | 143 | 142 | 145 | 154 |
| South Yorkshire | 223 | 214 | 229 | 253 |
| Staffordshire | 372 | 735 | 803 | 815 |
| Suffolk | 166 | 216 | 251 | 319 |
| Surrey | 80 | 376 | 511 | 446 |
| Sussex | 564 | 697 | 818 | 783 |
| Thames Valley | 680 | 824 | 862 | 857 |
| Warwickshire | 76 | 108 | 118 | 115 |
| West Mercia | 206 | 256 | 248 | 469 |
| West Midlands | 915 | 1099 | 1331 | 1518 |
| West Yorkshire | 690 | 596 | 606 | 751 |
| Wiltshire | 114 | 165 | 256 | 220 |
| England and Wales | 19,222 | 22,683 | 24,186 | 27,422 |
| Note: The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. | ||||
| Table 4: Undetected sexual offences by police force area - 2002/03 to 2008/09 | |||||||
| Undetected | |||||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
| Avon and Somerset | 1,306 | 1,386 | 1,531 | 1,113 | 1,292 | 1,115 | 1,095 |
| Bedfordshire | 362 | 437 | 392 | 493 | 350 | 280 | 348 |
| British Transport Police | 656 | 795 | 876 | 671 | 700 | 534 | 547 |
| Cambridgeshire | 540 | 624 | 560 | 572 | 544 | 561 | 523 |
| Cheshire | 386 | 533 | 585 | 649 | 589 | 484 | 433 |
| Cleveland | 221 | 409 | 444 | 434 | 397 | 330 | 315 |
| Cumbria | 89 | 163 | 200 | 179 | 169 | 211 | 192 |
| Derbyshire | 716 | 700 | 758 | 754 | 752 | 745 | 702 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 813 | 1,047 | 1,095 | 1,085 | 1,040 | 1,033 | 992 |
| Dorset | 448 | 542 | 500 | 560 | 472 | 579 | 543 |
| Durham | 237 | 129 | 170 | 453 | 265 | 285 | 260 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 31 | 261 | 289 | 256 | 250 | 208 | 184 |
| Essex | 1,023 | 1,136 | 884 | 973 | 777 | 815 | 846 |
| Gloucestershire | 338 | 322 | 364 | 465 | 470 | 426 | 377 |
| Greater Manchester | 1,844 | 2,330 | 2,430 | 2,184 | 2,052 | 2,048 | 1,963 |
| Gwent | 153 | 130 | 248 | 294 | 335 | 430 | 375 |
| Hampshire | 1,078 | 1,606 | 1,846 | 1,951 | 1,975 | 1,699 | 1,634 |
| Hertfordshire | 401 | 435 | 563 | 565 | 612 | 523 | 438 |
| Humberside | 857 | 1,136 | 1,072 | 943 | 928 | 676 | 665 |
| Kent | 857 | 1,046 | 1,308 | 1,334 | 1260 | 1,140 | 935 |
| Lancashire | 579 | 1,014 | 983 | 874 | 830 | 817 | 684 |
| Leicestershire | 745 | 768 | 1,006 | 948 | 915 | 931 | 856 |
| Lincolnshire | 482 | 501 | 504 | 441 | 455 | 424 | 426 |
| London, City of | 20 | 24 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 37 | 17 |
| Merseyside | 834 | 946 | 873 | 912 | 666 | 620 | 497 |
| Metropolitan Police | 8,343 | 7,800 | 7,193 | 6,725 | 6,717 | 6,288 | 5,976 |
| Norfolk | 503 | 533 | 588 | 573 | 483 | 447 | 359 |
| Northamptonshire | 362 | 300 | 345 | 395 | 348 | 449 | 409 |
| Northumbria | 943 | 990 | 1,018 | 825 | 735 | 657 | 582 |
| North Wales | 465 | 404 | 411 | 388 | 395 | 408 | 402 |
| North Yorkshire | 248 | 309 | 304 | 335 | 332 | 372 | 348 |
| Nottinghamshire | 731 | 805 | 731 | 759 | 778 | 807 | 870 |
| South Wales | 377 | 429 | 528 | 707 | 610 | 622 | 607 |
| South Yorkshire | 524 | 540 | 890 | 1,043 | 878 | 782 | 563 |
| Staffordshire | 757 | 766 | 836 | 865 | 794 | 701 | 782 |
| Suffolk | 363 | 490 | 400 | 407 | 435 | 473 | 489 |
| Surrey | 429 | 468 | 549 | 492 | 397 | 439 | 618 |
| Sussex | 889 | 939 | 1,331 | 1,119 | 1,128 | 960 | 1,034 |
| Thames Valley | 1,398 | 1,500 | 1,517 | 1,456 | 1,680 | 1,580 | 1,617 |
| Warwickshire | 188 | 292 | 268 | 242 | 300 | 265 | 269 |
| West Mercia | 601 | 672 | 706 | 576 | 609 | 740 | 720 |
| West Midlands | 1,849 | 2,137 | 2,434 | 2,325 | 2,329 | 2,140 | 1,786 |
| West Yorkshire | 1,280 | 1,832 | 1,652 | 1,822 | 1,662 | 1,589 | 1,532 |
| Wiltshire | 455 | 404 | 345 | 351 | 419 | 404 | 343 |
| England and Wales | 35,721 | 40,030 | 41,561 | 40,538 | 39,156 | 37,074 | 35,153 |
| Note: The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. | |||||||
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