Revealed: 29,614 crimes went unsolved last year across Surrey

Surrey Police closed over 29,000 cases last year without even identifying a suspect, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The party's analysis of new Home Office figures has found that of the 69,199 offences committed between April 2021 and March 2022 29,614 were unsolved.

This means a staggering 43% of crimes across Surrey were left unsolved.

The Government has neglected Police Forces for far too long. They should be giving forces the resources they need to make sure that every crime is investigated properly.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages Zöe Franklin reacted to the findings saying:

"These awful figures show criminals are getting away with victimising people on an industrial scale. The Conservative party love to talk tough on crime, but they can't even get the basics right.

"It is important to remember that each of these crimes has one or more victims and closing the case without solving it results in unanswered questions and often ongoing suffering for the victims as a result. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on cutting crime.

"The Government should give forces the resources they need to make sure that every crime is investigated.

"It is also shocking that while 43% of crimes are going unsolved, Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner has increased her office's budget by 30% so that she can spend more on her "communications". Local people are being forced to pay for this through their Council Tax at a time when so many cannot afford it and yet the money will not do anything to improve support for victims or services to prevent crime, which is what residents want and need.

"We must reverse years of Conservative neglect that have made our communities less safe and let far too many criminals get away with it."