Statement in relation to reports of reducing arrests

Following reporting today (22/5) around police forces’ nationally potentially reducing the amount of arrests they make, Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg has made the following statement:
“We remain committed to the communities we serve by fighting crime and serving victims.

“We are aware of the pressures being faced across the wider criminal justice system, and we are working to support them as much as we possibly can.

“Our priority remains to protect our communities and I would like to reassure people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire that we will continue to be proactive in arresting those who are suspected of committing crimes.

“In the last financial year we made almost over 30,000 arrests, an increase of over 7% more than the previous year, resulting in more charges for crimes such as rape offences (increasing by 17.4%) and drug trafficking (25% increase).

“We continue to work hard and with our partners to bring more offenders to justice.”