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Crime continues to fall
Crime in England and Wales has fallen by five per cent according to the British Crime Survey (BCS).
Recorded crime figures from the police show that for the three months to June 2003 crime remains stable compared to the same quarter last year.
The BCS figures show that the risk of being a victim of crime remains around the same level as in 1981 and one-third lower than in 1995.
There has been a five per cent reduction in violent crime according to the BCS. But there has been a 9 per cent increase in the reporting and recording of violent crimes.
The results can partly be accounted for by a greater willingness of victims of sexual assaults to come forward and the better reporting and recording of low-level thuggery.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears welcomed the figures:
“Crime overall is continuing to fall and offences such as burglary, robbery and vehicle crime, crimes which concern people the most, are showing significant falls. Measures to combat anti-social behaviour, street crime and schemes to cut drug-related crime are making an impact and contributing to keeping these crimes at a low level.”
Provisional data on the latest trends in gun crime are also published today. Overall, firearm offences increased by three per cent in 2002/03 compared with a 35 per cent increase in the previous year. The number of firearm offences has been falling since November last year.
Ms Blears said:
“The risk of a fatal shooting in England and Wales is still one of the lowest in the world but every crime involving a firearm is a serious concern and every life lost to gun crime is a terrible tragedy.
“But in order to make a difference people need to see the difference. That is why we have more police officers on our streets than ever before - 136,386 - and an additional 1,933 Community Support Officers.
“But we are not complacent, and we are not stopping there. We are in the process of reforming the criminal justice system across the board, bringing a greater number of criminals to justice with the aim of re-balancing the system. We want individuals, communities and society to be safer and to feel safer.”
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