Silent Crime: ‘Unreported and unpunished crime undermines the whole system of justice’

Two million crimes went unsolved in a single year in Britain, according to the latest Home Office data, while offences like knife crime and shoplifting soared in the same set of statistics.

2.3million criminal investigations were dropped by police in the year to September 2023 - the equivalent of around 6,300 each day. Shoplifting cases are at a 20-year high, amid a surge in theft overall.

The Express and Star, Shropshire Star along with its sister NationalWorld newspapers and websites, is calling this epidemic of violence, theft and anti-social behaviour Silent Crime - and we’ve launched a campaign for the voices of victims to be heard.

We want you to tell us incidents that have happened to you, your family or your friends in your neighbourhood; how it impacted you and whether justice was served.

Professor Steve McCabe, an economist, business expert and lecturer at Birmingham City University, said it’s often the “low-level stuff” that causes the “most aggregation” for communities, as it’s often unreported or unsolved.

He said: “The idea that what people have been subjected to will never be investigated - it makes people feel uneasy.

“That sense that criminality is being unpunished…it undermines the whole system of justice.”

Watch the full interview with Professor McCabe in the video above.

To force change, we need to unite and remind ourselves that these 'little' crimes are not acceptable. You should be safe and feel safe at work, at home, in the park and in our own neighbourhoods. We need you to tell us your stories and we, on your behalf, will take them to Downing Street. We need to stop being silent and we need you to help us. Comment on our story below or join our: Crime Survey for the Black Country