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Increasing Transparency and Understanding - Major Review of Crime Statistics

26 January 2006

A major cross-party review of how crime statistics are compiled and published, to increase public understanding of crime trends, was announced today by the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke.

The review of crime data in England and Wales will be undertaken by an independent group of opposition party nominees, leading statisticians and media representatives. Set up in response to a lack of understanding by the public about the levels and type of crime, the review team have been tasked with making recommendations to the Home Secretary on how to provide a measure of crime which is transparent, understood and trusted.

The announcement comes on the day that the latest quarterly crime statistics to September 2005 are published.  According to the British Crime Survey (BCS) overall crime and violence are stable while vehicle crime and burglary are falling.  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. 

Police recorded crime, also published today for July to September 2005, is down one per cent.

Statistics from the BCS 12 months to September 2005 show that:

• Overall crime stable
• Violence is stable
• All personal crime is stable
• Domestic burglary down 13 per cent
• Vehicle thefts down 14 per cent
• All household crime is stable

The recorded crime statistics July to September 2005 compared with the same quarter a year earlier show:

• Total recorded crime down one per cent
• Domestic burglary down seven per cent
• Vehicle thefts down four per cent
• Robbery up 11 per cent
• Drug offences up 19 per cent
• Violence against the person up four per cent
• Overall violent crime up four per cent

The Government recently launched the second annual SAFE national anti-robbery week in England and Wales which includes an educational pack for use by schools to help young people protect personal possessions such as mobile phones and MP3 players.

Mr Clarke said:

 "I have been concerned for some time that Home Office crime statistics  have been questioned and challenged. This has got to the point that  most people seem confused about what is happening to crime in this  country. This is why I have established an independent cross-party  group of experts to look at this issue. I have asked the group to feel  free to advise me in whatever way they feel appropriate to help us  increase public confidence in our measures of crime.

 "In terms of the statistics published today, I am encouraged that the  British Crime Survey shows significant falls in domestic burglary and  vehicle theft.  However, as in previous quarters, police recorded violent  crime is increasing, as is robbery.  It is these increases that are of  most concern to the public and why we will not  take our eye  of the ball  when it comes to reducing these types of crimes.

 "The Violent Crime Reduction Bill currently before Parliament will give new powers to police and local authorities to tackle violent criminals and ensure they are effectively punished. The recent rises in  robbery, whilst understandably concerning, come on the back of the  substantial reductions made during the Street Crime Initiative (SCI).   We are working with forces to maintain the impetus generated by the  SCI and utilise its best practice guidance to ensure that we do not see  a return to the high robbery rates of the past.

 "Despite the fact that most crime categories are falling, fear of crime is  still too high and public perception is often at odds with reality.  That is  why we need to look again at the statistics and find out why people do  not believe them. I want to get to a situation, on a cross-party basis,  where we all agree on how crime in this country is going to be  measured and are assured that the statistics are produced in an  independent way that commands public credibility." 

Notes to editors:

1. ‘Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2005 is published today. Copies are available from the Home Office press office on 0207 035 3836, copies can be also be read at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
2. ‘Violent Crime Overview, Homicide and Gun Crime 2004-05’ is also published today.
3. The review group will comprise:
   
   Chair - Professor Adrian Smith, QMW and RSS, (statistician)
   Professor Tim Newburn LSE and President of the British Society of  Criminology (criminologist)
   Dr Irwin Stelzer, Sunday Times Columnist and Fellow of the Hudson  Institute (media)
    Robert Phillis, chief executive Guardian Media Group (media)
    Kate Flannery, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (police)
    Paul Evans, Director Police Standards Unit (police)
    Dr David Green, Director Civitas (Conservative Party nominee)
    Liberal Democrat Party nominee to be confirmed
    Dame Helen Reeves, formerly chief executive of Victim Support  (victims)
    Ian Beesley, Statistics Commission (statistician)
    Ian Johnston, Association of Chief Police Officers, Head of Crime  (police)
   
4. The terms of reference are:To examine the key issues raised by the Statistics Commission about crime statistics and to make practical recommendations to the Home Secretary as to what changes are needed to address those issues. These recommendations will need to take account of the changes to strengthen the system of official statistics announced by the Chancellor in November, on which further detail will be published shortly.
   
   
5. The Statistics Commission identified in their interim report published on 20 December 2005 the following five issues of importance to those who need and use crime information:

• public trust in crime data
• measures of total crime
• measurement of the fear of crime
• international comparisons
• getting the best from data held by local police forces

The Statistics Commission interim report "Crime Statistics: User  Perspectives" is available online at 
www.statscom.org.uk/media_pdfs/reports/crime_stats_interim_report.pdf

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