Crime has continued to fall from the peak seen in 2024, according to the States of Jersey Police’s first-ever Crime and Policing Statistics report – although officers have stressed that crime figures alone do not reflect the full demand placed on the force.
Published yesterday, the first Crime and Policing Statistics report brings together data on recorded crime, roads policing, stop and search, arrests and police conduct between January 2022 and June 2026.
Intended to improve transparency and public understanding, the report will now be published twice a year.
During the first half of 2026, police recorded 1,572 crimes – comprising 741 in the first quarter and 831 in the second.
While crime rose slightly between the two quarters – a pattern the report says is typical as offences tend to increase during the spring and summer months – the overall total was lower than in the equivalent periods of both 2024 and 2025, continuing the downward trend following the 2024 high.
However, police cautioned against judging demand solely on crime figures. The force was “keen to emphasise that recorded crime is only one measure of policing activity”.
“Many of the issues placing the greatest demand on policing resources, including safeguarding vulnerable people, missing person enquiries, public protection work and concern for welfare incidents, are not fully captured within recorded crime statistics,” it added.
The report also noted that changes in recorded crime can be influenced by reporting behaviour, public awareness, targeted policing activity and recording practices, rather than changes in offending alone.
Among individual offence categories, acquisitive crime – which includes offences such as shoplifting, fraud and bicycle theft – fell by 7% compared with the first six months of last year, with 290 offences recorded. The report says this was the lowest first-half total since 2022.
Burglary and illegal entry remained relatively stable, with 51 offences recorded during the first six months of the year, compared with 55 during the same period in 2025.
Police recorded 796 offences against the person – including assaults, abusive communications and domestic abuse offences – in the first half of 2026.
That was slightly lower than both 2024 and 2025, although still considerably higher than the equivalent periods in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, 111 sexual offences were recorded during the first six months of 2026, down from 141 during the same period last year but broadly in line with 2023 and 2024 levels.
The report noted that sexual offences are often reported some time after they occur, meaning recorded figures do not necessarily reflect when incidents took place.
The report also shows that 1,239 driving offences were dealt with during the first half of the year, a 4% reduction on the same period in 2025, while arrests fell by 14% to 547.
Stop-and-search activity has continued its longer-term decline, with 199 searches carried out in the first six months of 2026 compared with 574 during 2022.
Despite fewer searches, the proportion leading to an arrest increased from 10% last year to 13%.
