The information requested is given in the following table. Detections (or ‘clear ups') can be subdivided into sanction and non-sanction detections. Sanction detections are now the preferred method, providing a more meaningful comparison of individual force performance. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances. Some forces have already abandoned their use on non-sanction detections altogether. The reductions in the use of non-sanction detections are clearly demonstrated by the figures given in the table.
There are variations in detection rates across police force areas. These variations reflect a range of factors, including differing resources available to investigate crime, varying force priorities and the crime mix within the wider offence groups.
Different offence types have different detection rates so any changes in the ‘crime mix' will also affect the overall rates of detection. Furthermore, the most numerous crimes have the greatest influence on overall detection rates. Sanction detections rates for individual offence groups by police force area are published in Table 7.04 of “Crime in England and Wales 2007-08' which is available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb0708chap7.xls
Police force areas, English regions and Wales Detection rate Sanction detection rate Cleveland 33 33 Durham 29 29 Northumbria 38 38 North East Region 35 35 Cheshire 26 26 Cumbria 38 38 Greater Manchester 25 25 Lancashire 35 35 Merseyside 32 32 North West Region 29 29 Humberside 31 31 North Yorkshire 33 33 South Yorkshire 27 27 West Yorkshire 24 24 Yorkshire and the Humber Region 27 27 Derbyshire 29 29 Leicestershire 27 27 Lincolnshire 28 28 Northamptonshire 25 25 Nottinghamshire 23 23 East Midlands Region 26 26 Staffordshire 28 28 Warwickshire 26 26 West Mercia 29 29 West Midlands 27 27 West Midlands Region 27 27 Bedfordshire 22 22 Cambridgeshire 27 27 Essex 32 32 Hertfordshire 30 30 Norfolk 32 32 Suffolk 30 30 East of England Region 30 29 London, City of 36 36 Metropolitan Police 25 25 London Region 25 25 Hampshire 27 26 Kent 27 27 Surrey 27 27 Sussex 32 32 Thames Valley 25 25 South East Region 27 27 Avon and Somerset 25 25 Devon and Cornwall 28 28 Dorset 27 27 Gloucestershire 32 32 Wiltshire 27 27 South West Region 27 27 Dyfed-Powys 42 42 Gwent 30 30 North Wales 40 40 South Wales 26 26 Wales 31 31 British Transport Police 27 27 England and Wales 28 28 1 Percentage of offences detected.