Statistics
Crime in England and Wales Update to June 2004
Crime in England and Wales has fallen 7% according to the British Crime Survey (BCS), the most authoritative and reliable indicator of crime trends, and
5% according to police recorded crime, compared to the same quarter last year. The risk of being a victim of crime is the lowest since the BCS began in 1981.
Title: Crime in England & Wales
Authors: Andrea Finney, Katharine Thorpe,
Jacqueline Toofail
Series: Home Office Statistical
Bulletin 14/2004
Number of pages: 12
Date published: October 2004
The quarterly figures show that vehicle thefts, burglary and robbery have continued to fall. The British Crime Survey shows that violent crime fell by 6% and violence involving any injury dropped by 12 %. Police recorded violent crime increased by 11 % although much of this is due to increased reporting and recording of 'low level' thuggery, which increased by 14 %, more willingness to report sex offences and the effect of new sex offence laws coming into force in May. Approximately half of all violent crimes did not involve injury to the victim.
Main Findings
The risk of being a victim of crime, is 25 %. This is lower compared with the year to June 2003 also lower than it was in 1981, the year of the first British Crime Survey (BCS).
The BCS showed significant falls in vehicle thefts, all household crime and all personal crime compared with the year to June 2003.
Police statistics showed a 14 % increase in violence against the person in April to June 2004 compared with the same period in the previous year.
Approximately half of all violent crimes recorded by the BCS and violence against the person recorded by the police did not involve injury to the victim.
The number of burglaries and vehicle thefts recorded by the police fell by 23 % and 18 % respectively.
In the year to June 2004 there were a provisional 10,590 firearm offences, representing an increase of three per cent compared with the previous year.
The BCS also shows that fear of crime has fallen compared with the previous year, as has the level of perceived anti-social behaviour.
Levels of confidence in most aspects of the criminal justice system (CJS) have improved compared with the previous year.
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Last update: 25 October 2004