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Crime Stable in England And Wales

19 October 2006

Crime in England and Wales remains stable according to the British Crime Survey (BCS) but has fallen two per cent according to the Recorded Crime Statistics both published today.

Since peaking in 1995, BCS crime has fallen by 44 per cent, representing 8.4million fewer crimes. The risk of becoming a victim of crime has fallen from 40 per cent at its peak in 1995 to 24 per cent according to BCS interviews in 2005/06.

Overall violent crime is stable according to the BCS, having fallen by 43 per cent since 1995. Police recorded crimes statistics for violent crime are also stable.

Since 1995, domestic burglary and vehicle crime have fallen by 59 and 60 per cent respectively, and all household offences have fallen by 45 per cent.

In the twelve months to June 2006, recorded firearm statistics show an eight per cent drop in firearms offences, with a 20 per cent reduction in fatal injuries, five per cent reduction in serious injuries and a 21 per cent reduction in firearm related injuries.

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill seeks to bring in further measures to tackle violent crime giving police and local communities more powers to tackle alcohol, knife and gun crime. These include introducing alcohol disorder zones, drinking banning orders and wider use of fixed penalty notices to tackle alcohol related disorder, as well as increasing the maximum sentence for possession of a knife and banning imitation firearms.

The BCS is generally accepted as the most authoritative and reliable indicator of crime trends and has measured people’s experience of crime in the same way for over 20 years.  

Statistics from the BCS Quarterly Update to June 2006 show:

Overall crime stable:

  • Violent crime stable;
  • All personal crime stable;
  • Domestic burglary stable;
  • Vehicle thefts down six per cent;
  • All vandalism stable.

The Recorded Crime Statistics in the twelve months to June 2006 show:

  • Total recorded crime down two per cent;
  • Overall violent crime stable;
  • Domestic burglary down four per cent;
  • Other burglary down five per cent;
  • Firearm offences down eight per cent;
  • Vehicle crime stable;
  • Other thefts down six per cent;
  • Robbery up five per cent;
  • Drug offences up 16 per cent.

Home Office Minister, Tony McNulty, said:

“The Government is determined to reduce crime in this country and we have already seen massive reductions since 1995, with 8.4million fewer crimes being committed. I am encouraged by the latest police and BCS crime statistics, which show falls in firearm offences, burglary and vehicle crime.

“We have made significant progress on violent crime in recent years and I am encouraged that overall violent crime is stable and police recorded crime has fallen. Although recorded robbery has increased, the rate is much slower than in recent quarters and is the result of work we are doing with the police, Crime Disorder Reduction Partnerships and the mobile phone industry as well as our advertising campaign warning people to keep their valuables safe. But I am not complacent and recognise that more work needs to be done to reverse this trend.

“Acquisitive crime is largely drug related and we are making great strides in reducing the harm caused by illegal drugs. We are diverting record numbers of drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment every week, taking more drugs off our streets, putting dealers behind bars and making sure young people are informed about the harms drugs cause.

“In July we published the Criminal Justice Review and announced a number of measures to cut crime, tackle anti-social behaviour swiftly and focus our efforts on the most serious offenders. We will continue reforming our criminal justice system to bring greater numbers of offenders to justice and deter future offenders while rebalancing the system to serve victims, witnesses and the community better.” 


NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. Crime in England and Wales 2005/06: Quarterly Update to June 2006 (new window) is available online on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website. Police recorded crime statistics provide a good measure of trends in well-reported crimes, are an important indicator of police workload, and can be used for local crime pattern analysis. However, they do not include crimes that have not been reported to the police or that the police decide not to record.  
  2. The BCS is a victimisation survey in which adults living in private households are asked about their experiences of crimes. The BCS gives a better indication of trends in crime over time because it is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting to the police, and in police recording practices. The methodology of the BCS has remained the same since the survey began in 1981 – therefore it is the best guide to long-term trends.
  3. Also published today on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website:

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