Thousands of crimes "screened out" by West Mercia Police
A murder, 11 rapes and and 17 robberies have not been investigated by the police force covering Shropshire in the past year.
A Freedom of Information Request has revealed the number of crimes that have been "screened out" by the force in 2016.
The term refers to crimes where an incident number has been given, but no investigation has taken place.
West Mercia Police today said all crimes it receives are given a level of investigation "appropriate to the circumstances".
The figures show that there were 14 homicides in the force area, which covers Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester in 2016.
But one of those was "screened out," one of dozens of offences that were given the treatment.
The figures show results dating back to 2012, which show one homicide also being "screened out" in 2015 and 2014, five given the same treatment in 2013 and a further four in 2012.
A further 2,327 cases of violence with injury were also screened out, as were 149 other sexual offences, not including rape.
A total of 8,936 theft offences were not investigated in 2016 according to the figures, which include residential burglaries, shoplifting offences and thefts from a person.
The figures also show that 168 possession of weapons offences, 964 drug offences and 5,125 cases of criminal damage and arson were also given the same treatment.
Chief Inspector Sarah Corteen, of West Mercia Police's Crime Bureau, said: "Every crime reported to West Mercia Police receives a level of investigation appropriate to the circumstances.
"All recordable crimes are defined by the Home Office’s Notifiable Offences List and are then recorded in line with the National Crime Recording Standards.
"Where there is viable potential for a positive outcome, a crime will be allocated for further investigation.
"If there is little potential for such an outcome, victims will be informed at the earliest opportunity and offered crime prevention advice and the services of Victim Support.
"Even when a crime is closed without further investigation, an investigation can be resurrected at any time after initial filing, should new evidence come to light."
