Police forces across England and Wales failed to record more than 280,000 crimes last year, according to a watchdog inspection. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that whilst recording rates have improved significantly, serious gaps remain in documenting offences.
The inspectorate reported that 94.8% of crimes were officially recorded by forces in the year to March 31, representing a substantial increase from 80.5% in 2014. However, this improvement still left more than 285,000 offences undocumented across the two nations.
Vulnerable groups affected most
Forces showed particular weaknesses in recording crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, including harassment, stalking and controlling or coercive behaviour. These offences reportedly make up 37.9% of unrecorded violent crime, leaving victims without proper support and protection.
Domestic abuse cases and crimes affecting vulnerable people also suffered from poor recording practices. The watchdog found that anti-social behaviour offences were documented at unacceptably low rates, with only 51.9% of crimes targeting specific individuals or groups being properly recorded.
Delays in crime recording
Only 78% of crimes are recorded within 24 hours on average, despite requirements for officers to document offences at the earliest opportunity. Sample cases audited between 2021 and 2025 revealed that five forces recorded less than 40% of crimes within 24 hours, with one force achieving just 2.6% and taking more than a week to record most offences.
Inspector calls for improvements
His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: "For the public to have trust and confidence in policing, they need to know that when they report a crime, the police will record it accurately and without delay. Correctly recording these crimes means forces can quickly allocate cases and begin investigations promptly."
He continued: "Importantly, it also helps to make sure victims receive a better service, and access the support they may desperately need. We have seen marked improvements in the way forces record crimes, and a greater awareness and understanding of its importance."
Wilsher acknowledged progress but emphasised ongoing challenges: "However, there is still more to do. There remains much difference between forces in how well they record crime. For example, violent crimes still aren't being recorded well enough and the level of crime reporting related to antisocial behaviour remains unacceptably low."
Specific crime categories struggle
Violent crime recording achieved 93.6% accuracy overall, but performance varied dramatically between forces - from a high of 98% down to less than 90% for two forces. Sexual offences showed better results at 95.9% recording rate between 2023 and 2025, with two forces achieving 100% accuracy in 2024.
Rape cases presented particular concerns, with inspectors finding that officers used correct procedures for unconfirmed reports in less than 70% of cases reviewed. The watchdog stressed this represents a serious failure to protect potential victims and gather crucial evidence.
The inspection also identified over-recording as an emerging problem, with 2.3% of offences unnecessarily documented. Some forces appeared to be taking a "just in case" approach, mistakenly recording incidents that did not meet crime thresholds.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
