Number of thieves sentenced in Hertfordshire hits new record low according to new figures

The number of thieves sentenced in Hertfordshire last year has hit a record low, new figures show.

Ministry of Justice figures show 660 people were sentenced for committing a theft offence in the Hertfordshire Constabulary area in 2022 – down from 752 in 2021, and the lowest figure since 2010, when comparable records began.

However, across England and Wales, the number of sentences handed out for thefts rose for the first time since 2011, with concerns raised about the number of investigations being launched and completed into low-level crime.

Nationally, around 36,900 sentences for theft – which includes shoplifting, blackmail, burglary and stealing a vehicle or bicycle – were dished out last year, an increase of around 3,000 compared t0 2021.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said the increase is ‘to be expected given the recent pivot towards prioritising theft and burglaries’.

But the rise is well below previous years, with the number of sentences steadily declining – a decade ago, there were 126,359, of which 2,186 were in Hertfordshire.

The PFEW has called for ‘significant improvement’ to be made to the criminal justice system.

A spokesperson said, to improve rates, the Government must support police officers ‘exhausted, overworked, underpaid and struggling’ to deliver the service they want to give.

They added: "Ultimately, it is easy to take quick wins from individual figures but often this does not tell the whole story and it is imperative that we consider new data in a collective way to be able to draw out the right solutions to improve the criminal justice system as a whole."

Meanwhile, separate figures show that, overall, 28,640 theft offences were recorded in Hertfordshire last year – up from nearly 25,800 in 2021.

However, prosecutions and convictions across the country also rose for the first time last year, since 2011, with 42,300 and 36,700 recorded respectively.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "Theft can have a serious impact on victims, and we are determined to bring perpetrators to justice whenever our legal test is met.

"We can only prosecute cases that are referred to us following an investigation and will continue to work closely with police to bring offenders to justice."