The Isle of Man Constabulary has published its Annual Report for 2025-26, outlining a year in which overall crime fell but a series of exceptionally serious incidents placed sustained pressure on policing resources.
In his opening letter, Chief Constable Russ Foster says the year was defined by “isolated, but exceptionally serious incidents” outside the island’s usual crime profile.
These included the investigation into the tragic death of a fourteen year old boy in Ramsey (Operation Onyx), followed shortly thereafter by an attempted murder in a domestic context.
Then later in the year there was a linked series of serious offences allegedly committed by a single individual, including wounding with intent, robbery and burglary. More recently, there was a further offence of attempted murder which occurred in February 2026.
Public Confidence
Despite this backdrop, the island continued to report very high levels of public confidence, with 96.7% of residents feeling safe or very safe, and overall recorded crime fell by 4.5%.
Detection rates dropped from 55.8% to 51.9%, which the Chief Constable attributes to the intense demand created by the major investigations rather than any decline in investigative performance.
The report highlights reductions in sexual offences, improvements in detection rates for non‑rape sexual offences, and a continued fall in youth offending.
Domestic Abuse Act offences fell sharply, though breaches of protective orders rose due to more proactive enforcement.
Foster also points to growing complexity in financial crime, with cryptocurrency now a routine feature of investigations.
Government has approved new investment in specialist units, including the Proactive International Money Laundering Investigation Team, ahead of the island’s 2026 MONEYVAL evaluation.
Road safety data shows three fatalities, down from five, and, for the fourth consecutive year, no TT‑period road deaths on open public roads.
Foster concludes by praising the professionalism and resilience of officers and staff, saying the Constabulary “performed exceptionally well” despite unprecedented demand.