Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

The Crime in England and Wales quarterly update reflects police recorded crime statistics for the three months to June 2003, and the British Crime Survey for the twelve months to June 2003. 

The British Crime Survey (BCS) has indicated crime in England and Wales has fallen by 5%. Police recorded crime, compared to the same quarter last year, for the three months to June 2003, shows crime remains stable. This update shows significant falls in: 

The risk of being a crime victim and the risk of being burgled remain at their lowest levels in more than 20 years.

Violent crime is stable, with no increase in victims reporting violent crime to the BCS - figures show a 5% reduction in violent crime. Yet a reporting increase in recording violent crime has risen by 9%. Much of the increase in recorded violent crime is due to:

• better reporting and recording of low level thuggery 

• higher victim willingness to report sexual assaults.

Tough Government action is been consistently implemented to tackle overall crime. Recent measures include:

• combatting anti-social behaviour in areas worst affected by low level crime and disorder

• an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy PDF (100kb) producing  ways to cut city centre violence

• a new drug related crime programme that began in April 2003.

• BCS fall of 5%

• Police recorded crime unchanged.

• BCS fall of 2%

• Police recorded crime fall of 4%.

• There continues to be a significant, sustained fall in robbery largely due to the street crime initiative

• Police recorded crime fall of 7%.

Violent crime 

• BCS fall of 5%

• Police recorded crime increase of 9%

• much of what is recorded as violent crime, such as common assault that amounts to pushing and shoving, involves little or no physical injury to the victim.

• BCS fall of 7%

• police recorded crime fall of 6%.

• The British Crime Survey shows the risk of being a victim of crime remains historically low at 26.9% - around the same level as 1981, and one-third lower than the risk in 1995 (40%).

Gun Crime

Provisional data on the latest trends in gun crime show that the total number of firearm offences in 2002/03 (excluding offences involving air weapons) increased by 3%. This compares to a 35% increase in 2001/02. The update indicates firearm offences have been falling since November last year. Final figures for 2002/3 will be published in January.

Download: 'Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly update to June 2003'  PDF 303kb (large file)