Half of all murders drug-related for fifth year in a row

At least half of all murders over the last five years in England and Wales were drug related, new figures have shown.

Analysing Home Office data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 1,640 of the 3,062 murders committed between April 2019 and March 2024 were linked to drugs.

A total of 56 per cent of all murders last year involved drug users, dealers, or were related to drugs in some way – the highest proportion in a decade.

Dealers and users

Between April 2021 and March 2024, almost one in three murder suspects were known drug dealers and almost half were known drug users.

Over the same period, 49 per cent of all victims were either using or selling drugs.

David Spencer, Head of Crime and Justice at Policy Exchange, said the Government needs to “start focusing on taking the fight to the gangs and drug dealers”.

Law enforcement

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) recently called on the Westminster Government to halt the slide towards decriminalisation and strengthen law enforcement’s role to address illegal drug addiction.

According to the CSJ, a record 5,448 people died from drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023, an 84 per cent increase since 2013.

Almost ten per cent of adults aged 16-59 in England and Wales reported taking illegal drugs in the past year, although the think-tank noted that this is likely to underestimate the scale of the problem.

Sophia Worringer, the CSJ’s Deputy Policy Director, said: “Pretending liberalisation is the answer is plainly wrong. Everywhere you look, it has not stamped out the illegal drug market or acted as a silver bullet to reduce drug deaths or drug use.”

Success

A multi-agency initiative to tackle organised crime in North Wales is helping people get off drugs.

North Wales Police reports that targeting drug gangs in a deprived area of Rhyl has hit supply. Addicts are now struggling to get hold of drugs and asking for help to kick the habit.

Since April, police have conducted 35 raids, made 180 arrests and seen crime fall by 14 per cent in Rhyl West.

Commenting on the initiative’s success, Chief Superintendent Owain Llewellyn observed: “I’m under no illusions – we need to continue that pressure, and we need to continue to target those who cause real harm to the community.”