Types of crime
We prosecute people for hundreds of different types of crime every year. This section gives an introduction to some of the categories of offending that we are asked about most often.
Cyber/online crime
Cyber or online crime is criminal activity that uses computers, networks or digital devices. This includes online fraud, hacking, identity theft, harassment and distributing illegal content through technology.
Driving offences
Criminal driving offences are illegal acts committed while driving. This includes drink or drug driving, careless or dangerous driving, and causing death or serious injury through careless or dangerous driving.
Drug offences
Drug offences are crimes involving illegal substances. This includes possessing, supplying, producing or importing controlled drugs like cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
Fraud and economic crime
Fraud and economic crime involve dishonestly obtaining money or property by deception. This includes online scams, identity theft, benefit fraud, money laundering and fraudulent business schemes.
Hate crime
Hate crime is when someone commits an offence that's motivated by hostility towards a person's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity. This makes existing crimes more serious and can lead to increased sentences.
International and organised crime
International and organised crime involves serious offences that cross borders or involve criminal groups. This includes human trafficking, modern slavery, drug and firearms smuggling, immigration offences and exploitation by organised criminal networks.
Proceeds of crime
Proceeds of crime involves recovering money and assets gained through criminal activity. This includes confiscation orders, asset freezing, money laundering prosecutions and ensuring criminals cannot benefit from their offences.
Terrorism
Terrorism involves using or threatening violence to intimidate the public or government for political, religious or ideological purposes. This includes planning attacks, supporting terrorist organisations and encouraging terrorism.
Verbal abuse and harassment in public
Verbal abuse and harassment in public involves threatening, intimidating or abusive behaviour towards others in public spaces. This includes hate speech, persistent following, shouting abuse and behaviour that causes alarm or distress.
Violent crime
Violent crime involves using or threatening physical force against another person. This includes assault, wounding, actual and grievous bodily harm, affray, robbery, knife crime and offences that cause physical or psychological harm.
Wildlife, rural and heritage crime
Wildlife, rural and heritage crime involves offences against the countryside, animals and cultural sites. This includes poaching and egg theft, illegal hunting, wildlife trade, farm equipment and fuel theft, equine crime, livestock offences, and criminal damage to heritage sites.
Youth crime
Youth crime involves offences committed by people under 18. This can include violent offences, theft, assault, criminal damage, drug offences and anti-social behaviour. Young offenders are dealt with through specialist youth courts, specialist detention facilities and rehabilitation programmes.
Violence against women and girls
Violence against women and girls includes domestic abuse, sexual offences, stalking, harassment, honour-based violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and other crimes that predominantly target women and girls.