The effect of Covid-19 on crime

One of the few positives that came out of the first coronavirus lockdown seems to have been a (temporary) reduction in crime. Figures from the UK's Office for National Statistics published back in September showed that, compared to 2019 in England and Wales, “there was a significant fall in crime at the height of the pandemic". Billy Gazard from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice explained: "This was driven by reductions in theft offences, particularly domestic burglary and theft of personal property."

This reflects the increase in time that people spent at home during lockdown, creating "a reduction in opportunities for theft in public spaces and the closure of the night-time economy". As this infographic with selected offence types shows though, as the lockdown measures were relaxed in the summer, a certain degree of normality returned, with the incidence rate bouncing back in the categories which had experienced a lockdown dip.

Adding context to the latest figures, Helen Ross from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice said: “The coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown restrictions have resulted in fluctuations in the level of crime experienced in England and Wales. Data from the survey showed decreases in crime at the start of the pandemic, with rises seen over the summer months, specifically in theft, following the easing of lockdown measures, with overall crime now back at pre-lockdown levels of January to March 2020."