Derbyshire Constabulary decided not to make enquiries into over 12,000 crimes this year – a 45 per cent rise in the proportion of reported crimes not investigated.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed police still "screened out" more incidents, despite the number of reported crimes dropping.
Crimes are screened out when officers feel they are unlikely to be solved using available re
sources. Officers thought 12,115 crimes from November, 2007, to October 2008 were not worth investigating - 3,750 more than the previous year.
Deputy chief constable Alan Goodwin said his force had to assess the most effective way to spend its time and money.
He said: "As a service we have to manage demand but also provide a level of reassurance to the public.
"We deal with around 80,000 crimes a year. Realistically, we cannot attend every one, nor is it necessarily a requirement to."
The screened out cases this year included six sex offences and two robberies.
And officers decided 41 per cent of thefts from vehicles, 34 per cent of bike thefts and 32 per cent of vehicle thefts were not worth investigating. Dep ch cons Goodwin said officers prioritised crimes where there was a realistic chance of arresting suspects, but would always investigate cases further if new evidence emerged.
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