Crime down but work continues as GMP reveal stats

Greater Manchester police remain focused on tackling shoplifting, burglary and theft as part of its ongoing efforts to combat street-level crime across the force area.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) crime stats for the year up to September 2025 have been revealed and show decreases in GM for shoplifting (down 7 per cent), robbery (down 10 per cent), theft from person (down 24 per cent), and burglary (down 24 per cent). 

This is part of GMP’s commitment to extensively recording crime and investigating all reasonable lines of enquiry. 

There have been more than 500 fewer burglary victims each month across Greater Manchester since May 2021 (9,083 crimes in year to September 2025, down from 15,519) and it continues to commit to attending all reports of burglary, as it has done since July 2021. 

There were 1,000 fewer shoplifting and robbery of business property offences in the last 12 months, and it will continue to work closely with retail owners and shopkeepers to protect their livelihoods and catch offenders. 

GMP has said that while it is important crime is down in these key areas, it knows it must keep improving its outcomes for victims. 

Nearly twice as many affected by crime have received justice in the year up to September 2025 compared to the year up to May 2021, with 28,085 victim-based crimes solved compared to 14,268. 

Police are now bringing to justice 500 shoplifters every month in GM. It solved around 5,300 more shoplifting offences in the year up to September 2025 compared to May 2021. 

GMP were previously solving hundreds of these crimes in a year (993 in the year up to May 2021) and now it is solving thousands (6,295 in the year up to September 2025). 

The latest figures released by the ONS include the impact of its increased patrols in town centres as part of the Home Office’s Safe for Summer campaign. 

Seasonal reductions in theft (20 per cent), street crime (11 per cent), and serious violent crime (8 per cent) came after it conducted more than 22,000 hours on the beat across 82 hotspots between June and September. 

In total, the action saw more than 2,000 arrests and more than 1,400 positive stop-searches. 

GMP’s proactivity in stop-and-search has helped see increases in recorded drugs (up 33 per cent) and weapons (up 11 per cent) possession offences, with its local policing teams and specialist units continuing to increase its use of this key tactic in a professional and diligent manner. 

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, GMP’s lead for local policing, said: “These latest crime figures speak to the importance that GMP is placing on local street-level crimes such as burglary, shoplifting and theft. 

“The GMP of today does not dismiss these offences as ‘low-level’. Instead, we’re getting to grips with those who seek to do harm to others and make our streets feel unsafe. 

“Ultimately, volume crime is committed by most criminals which is why it’s so important our officers are continuing to get stuck into the crimes that matter most to communities, to reduce harm, and to bring offenders to justice. 

“Through robust crime-fighting, partnership problem-solving, and increased police visibility on our streets, we will look to continue to keep our streets safe.”