THE number of arrests made by West Yorkshire Police has halved over the past decade, and fewer crimes are being prosecuted in crown court – all while reported crime in the county is on the up, figures have revealed.

The statistics from the Home Office showed 36,372 arrests were made in 2017/18, down 53 per cent on 2007/08, when 78,343 arrests were made.

This fall has come against a backdrop of rising crime in West Yorkshire, with the number of crimes recorded in the 12 months up to June 11 per cent higher than the previous year.

West Yorkshire Police put the reduction in arrests down to reduced resources and pressure on officers, but also pointed to a remarkable 900 per cent increase in voluntary attendances - people attending a police station to help with an investigation - since it was introduced in 2012.

The fall in arrests and rise in crime is reflected nationally, with the number of arrests across the country dropping by more than half, and crime at its highest level since March 2005.

In West Yorkshire, 43 per cent of arrests were for violence against the person, followed by 21 per cent for theft. The vast majority of people arrested, 85 per cent, were men.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Kingsman, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Arrest is one power to tackle and deter crime, with officers also using a number of other methods, including voluntarily attendances at a police station.

“Demand on the police has increased in the past decade and continues to increase, and our concerns around meeting this demand with the resources we have are more prevalent than ever.

“While the decline in the number of arrests by West Yorkshire Police may seem concerning, the vast majority of police forces have recorded the same decline, with officers continuing to do the best job possible under increasing pressure.

“Some of the decline can be attributed to a 900 per cent increase in the number of voluntary attendances (VAs) we have had at police stations since the introduction of VAs in 2012. In 2017/18, we recorded 14,940 voluntary attendances, with 13,446 in 2016/17.

“Officers are also encouraged to deal with offending behaviour proportionately and effectively, maximising public involvement, keeping people out of the criminal justice system and supporting reduced re-offending behaviour through positive intervention.”

Chief Constable Charlie Hall, lead for operations at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “Arrests, stop and search and people tested for drink or drug driving are all at the lowest level since data has been captured.

“This reinforces our concern about growing demand and our ability to meet it with the resources we have.

“Our proactive capabilities that prevent crime and protect the public are significantly curtailed.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Arrest is just one of the powers police have to tackle crime.

“Arrest figures do not capture trends such as an increase in voluntary attendance at police stations and a greater use of other outcomes, such as community resolutions.”

The cuts in police numbers and resources is also leading to a number of criminal cases being shelved, legal experts have said.

An expert from the Law Society said police do not have enough resources to complete investigations to the standard required by the Crown Prosecution Service, leading to cases being shelved.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice showed 636 cases reached crown court in West Yorkshire between April and June this year, down from 1,139 over the same period four years ago.

Physical violence against a person cases were the most common in the county’s courts in that time frame, accounting for a quarter of all cases.

Ian Kelcey, a solicitor at the Law Society, said: “The CPS are now demanding that the cases have to be trial-ready before they will authorise going to trial.

“The problem is that police forces do not have the manpower to put together the information the CPS wants and I suspect a lot of cases have just not been pursued because it is too much trouble from them.

“I used to do quite a lot of shoplifting cases but now you get three or four a year because they don’t bother prosecuting people unless they are persistent offenders. I am afraid this is what underlies these figures.”