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For most crimes, a detection means that a suspected offender is issued with a charge or summons and faces prosecution in the Courts.
As with detections, the longer the gap between the measurement being taken and the end of the reference period, the more time there is to allow for investigations to conclude and for further detections, or in this case prosecutions, to be achieved. As a result, the share of detections classed as a charge or summons in each subsequent year tends to decrease. This feature affects some crime types more than others. The effect of the time lag should be considered in respect of the time series.
The proportion of crime incidents reported in the years 2015 to 2021, which have a valid charge or summons linked to the incident, is shown in Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1. This time series is provided, even though it is not provided for detections more broadly, on the basis that the way in which charges and summons are recorded did not change in 2018, as other detection indicators did.
The proportion of detected Sexual offences crimes which led to a charge or summons was over 20% between 2015 and 2019. The figures for the more recent years are currently lower at 17% for 2020 and 10% for 2021. However, it is reasonable to expect that the levels for the most recent years will increase over time. See Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1.
Despite the time lag, the proportion of crimes which led to a charge or summons for the following crimes was higher in 2020 and 2021 than in earlier years:
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| 01 Homicide offences | 81 | 79 | 73 | 81 | 79 | 83 | 72 |
| 02 Sexual offences | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 10 |
| 03 Attempts/Threats to Murder, Assaults, Harassments & Related offences | 28 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 25 |
| 06 Robbery, Extortion & Hijacking offences | 29 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 24 |
| 07 Burglary & Related offences | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 22 | 18 |
| 08 Theft & Related offences | 21 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 21 | 27 |
| 10 Controlled Drug offences | 71 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 84 | 66 |
| 12 Damage to Property & to the Environment | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 |
| 13 Public Order & Other Social Code offences | 44 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 63 | 60 |
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