Slightly more than 30,000 muggings in England and Wales did not even result in a suspect being identified by police last year, research released by the Liberal Democrats has shown.
Just 8% of all offences of robbery of personal property reported to the police last year saw someone being charged, the data from the House of Commons library research showed.
West Midlands police were the worst performing force by this metric, with 4% of robberies reported to its officers in 2022 leading to a charge, followed by Northamptonshire at 5%, with the Avon and Somerset and the Hampshire forces both managing 6%.
The research showed that in 30,079 robberies of personal property reported across England and Wales in 2022 the cases were closed without a suspect being identified.
The dataset is for robbery of personal property involving violence or threats, the formal definition of mugging.
The Lib Dems said it showed the poor performance of the home secretary, Suella Braverman, while she is “embroiled in scandal” such as claims that she asked civil servants to intervene in arranging a private speed awareness course after being caught speeding.
The party has called for a greater focus on more visible community policing.
Sarah Olney, the Lib Dems’ Treasury spokesperson, who asked the Commons library to carry out the research, said: “These shocking figures show muggings are being effectively decriminalised, with far too many violent criminals let off the hook.
“People are being left feeling unsafe walking down their own local streets, because this Conservative government has slashed neighbourhood policing to the bone,” she added. “Crime victims are being abandoned while the home secretary Suella Braverman is embroiled in endless scandals.
“We need to see a return to proper community policing, making our streets safer and ending this free-for-all for criminals.”
Annual statistics for 2021-22 released last year showed that recorded crime in England and Wales reached a 20-year high, with the proportion of offences leading to court action at a new low.
In total, 5.6% of all offences reported to police led to a suspect being charged or summonsed, down from 7.1% the previous year and from 16% in 2014-2015, Home Office figures showed.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Robbery is an invasive and unsettling crime for victims and we expect police to take all incidents seriously.
“We are providing police with the resources they need, having delivered on our commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023, the highest it has ever been.
“We are also supporting police by providing funding for crime prevention measures, including better street lighting and CCTV, and equipping police with better technology to help their investigations and catch more criminals.”
