WIREDGOV

“The latest crime statistics are encouraging. Since 1997 overall crime has fallen by 36 per cent - a total of six million fewer crimes, violence is down by 41 per cent and domestic burglary is down by 54 per cent.

“Today’s figures show that the reductions in crime are being maintained and the risk of being a victim is still historically low.

“Encouragingly, violent crime continues to fall with homicide figures now lower than they have been for a decade and attempted murder also falling. Overall, violent crime with injury is down seven per cent and there has been a five per cent fall in recorded robberies, now at its lowest level since 2002.

“But we are not complacent. As in previous years we see changing patterns of crime and we know that during economic downturns certain crimes face upward pressure, which is why we’ve already taken action to tackle these head-on. Although today’s figures show signs of some acquisitive crimes increasing, the Government is determined to keep these crimes down by continued investment in preventative measures, tough, targeted policing and historically high numbers of police officers.

“Of course statistics are only part of the picture and offer no comfort to victims which is why it is encouraging that confidence at a local level is rising with nearly half of people saying they feel the police and local agencies are dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime in their area.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The annual publication ‘Crime in England and Wales 2008/09’ includes results from the British Crime Survey and crimes recorded by the police for the 12 months up to March 2009.

2. ‘Crime in England and Wales 2008/09’ is available online on the UK Statistics Authority website and is accompanied by a statistical news release with a summary of regional crime statistics:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/crime-justice/index.html

3. Both documents are also available via the Home Office website at:

http://www.homeoffice .gov.uk/rds/stats-release.html

4. The British Crime Survey is a victimisation survey in which adults living in private households are asked about their experiences of crimes. It includes property crimes such as vehicle-related thefts and burglary, and personal crimes such as assaults. For the crime types it covers, the BCS can provide a better reflection of the true extent of crime because it includes crimes that are not reported to the police and crimes which are not recorded by them. The BCS also 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 and therefore it is the best guide to long-term trends.

5. Police recorded crime statistics provide a measure of trends in well-reported crimes, are an important indicator of police workload, and can be used for local crime pattern analysis. Recorded crime statistics provide the only measure of homicide and also the only reliable measure of relatively rare crimes such as robbery.

6. For further information, please call the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535.

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