The question of whether crime is rising in the UK does not have a straightforward answer.
The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics — the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) for the year ending December 2025 — shows that overall headline crime remained stable at around 9.6 million incidents, with no statistically significant change from the previous year. On the surface, that sounds reassuring. But the detail tells a more complex story for businesses and property owners.
Key takeaways from the latest ONS crime figures (year ending December 2025):
- Total headline crime held at around 9.6 million incidents, showing no change year-on-year
- Theft fell overall, with domestic burglary down 22% to 327,000 incidents and vehicle-related theft down 14% to 596,000 incidents
- Fraud remains at a persistently high level — an estimated 4.4 million incidents, 30% higher than the earliest comparable data from 2017
- Knife offences fell 10% to 49,151, the first meaningful drop in several years
- Shoplifting recorded 509,566 offences — a marginal 1% decrease but still close to the highest levels on record
- Homicides decreased 6% to 503 offences
- Firearms offences fell 9% to 4,753, the lowest since current recording began in 2003
What do crime rate figures mean in practice?
The headline stability masks some important shifts. The fall in domestic burglary and vehicle theft is genuinely positive, but these are partly driven by improved physical security — better locks, immobilisers, alarm systems — rather than a fundamental change in criminal intent. When security measures improve, displacement often follows: opportunistic offenders move to easier targets, including commercial premises, construction sites, and vacant properties.
Shoplifting remains near record levels despite the marginal dip. Fraud has grown 30% over the past eight years and now accounts for a significant proportion of total crime. Neither of these trends resolves itself without active intervention.
For businesses and property managers, the more relevant question is not whether the national headline number is moving, but whether the specific risk profile for your site, sector, or asset type is being managed. A site without adequate perimeter security, CCTV, or regular inspection is a different risk environment to one with layered measures in place.
Protecting against the risks that remain
- Theft and break-ins: Physical security remains the most effective deterrent for opportunistic theft. Entry points — doors and windows — remain the primary vulnerability, particularly for vacant or periodically unoccupied buildings. Vacant property steel screens and steel security doors provide robust protection against forced entry, and combining these with commercial CCTV and remote monitoring ensures that any breach is detected and responded to quickly.
- Outdoor spaces and open sites: Car parks, land, and open commercial areas remain targets for fly-tipping, unauthorised encampments, and vehicle crime. Concrete barrier hire provides effective perimeter control without permanent infrastructure, and mobile CCTV towers give coverage across large or remote sites where fixed installation is not practical.
- Construction sites: Plant theft, fuel theft, and materials theft remain persistent risks on active sites. Perimeter protection, access control, and solar-powered CCTV towers are the most cost-effective combination for deterring opportunistic and organised theft from sites operating outside normal hours.
- Physical threats and lone worker safety: For sites where staff are working alone or in high-risk environments, manned guarding, security dog units, and lone worker devices provide both deterrence and a documented response capability.
Where to start
The most practical first step for any business or property manager is a security risk assessment to identify specific vulnerabilities before deciding where to invest. Contact Clearway for a free security health check.
Sources: Office for National Statistics — Crime in England and Wales: year ending December 2025
