Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Quarterly Crime Statistics: January 2004

The Government publishes new crime statistics each quarter. The figures for the year to September 2003 show that overall crime has remained fairly stable, but that there have been significant increases in violent crime.

Title: Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2003
Authors: Anna Upson and Martin Wood
Number of pages: 10 ( with supplements of 62 pages and 90 pages)
Date published: January 2004

The latest set of figures have been presented as 3 volumes. There is a short introductory section that outlines the main statistics in a 10 page briefing. This is supported by a 62 page supplementary volume on homicide and gun crime, and a 90 page supplement on public attitude and perceptions. Each of these volumes can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

MAIN POINTS

• Overall levels of crime have remained stable.

• There were 3% fewer crimes of violence according to the British Crime Survey (BCS) in the 12 months to September 2003, compared with a year earlier.

• Recorded violence against the person rose by 17% (including an 18% increase in more serious violence). This may be due, in part, to the continuing effects of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard.

• BCS figures show that levels of domestic burglary are 2% lower than a year earlier, although this fall is not statistically significant. Recorded crime figures show a fall of 3%.

• Vehicle thefts have continued to fall steadily, decreasing by 5% according to the BCS and by 8% in the police statistics.

• Levels of worry about violence and car crime have fallen compared with the previous year, as has the overall level of perceived antisocial behaviour.

• Levels of confidence in the criminal justice system (CJS) generally remained stable, although there were some very small falls.

• The risk of being a victim of crime, at 27%, is around the same as it was in 1981.

Percentage change in BCS estimates, England and Wales, interviews in 12 months to September 2003 compared with a year earlier

Percentage change in recorded crime July to September 2003 compared with the same quarter a year earlier

Public confidence in the criminal justice system

Further Information

All 3 volumes of these quarterly crime statistics can be downloaded from the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website.

Download Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2003 PDF 80Kb

Download Supplementary volume 1: Homicide and gun crime PDF 284Kb

Download Supplementary volume 2: Crime, disorder and the criminal justice system - public attitudes and perceptions PDF 441Kb

Last update: 21/01/04