Number of South Yorkshire robbery offences increases by 18 per cent in just one year

New figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that in the year to March 31, 2023, South Yorkshire Police recorded a total of 1,952 robbery offences.

This compares with the previous year when there were 1,660 - a rise of 18 per cent.

The 1,952 robbery offences recorded in South Yorkshire is the equivalent of five such crimes being committed every day. The key difference between theft and robbery is the use, or threat, of violence that has to be present for an offence to be categorised as a robbery.

The full definition of robbery as used by the Crown Prosecution Service states: "A person is guilty of robbery if the person steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, they use force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force."

South Yorkshire Police's lead for neighbourhood crime, Superintendent Pete Thorpe, gave two reasons for the increase.

“The latest ONS crime statistics cover the 12-month period up to March 2023, compared to the previous 12 months. Over this time period, and in the year before this, we have unfortunately seen an increase in reports of robbery.

"Here at South Yorkshire Police we have taken great strides in improving our crime recording practices in the last two years, and the pandemic also had an impact on crime rates in both 2020 and 2021, when crime reports drastically reduced across the board. Both of these factors will have undoubtedly contributed to the increases we have seen in crime levels but our commitment to providing an excellent, victim-led service remains steadfast. 

"We know that being a victim of a robbery can be incredibly distressing, and we are proactively increasing patrols and our use preventative and enforcement tactics to protect potential victims and reassure residents. We continue to encourage the public to report robbery incidents to us, along with any information that may assist us in identifying those who commit these upsetting crimes." 

Anyone wishing to report a crime should call South Yorkshire Police on 101.