The Coalition Government has hailed another fall in recorded crime in England and Wales. Both the Home Office measures of crime – police recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales – show overall crime has fallen by more than 10pc under this government. In the year to the end of September 2013, the Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) shows overall crime fell to the lowest level since the survey began in 1981. The latest figures from the CSEW estimate that there were eight million crimes against households and resident adults in the previous 12 months, based on interviews with a nationally representative sample in the year ending September 2013. Police recorded 3.7 million offences in the year ending September 2013, a decrease of 3pc compared with the previous year. However, to quote only the British Retail Consortium annual crime survey, many businesses are under-reporting or giving up on reporting crime to police for lack of satisfactory, or any, response.
In a related development, in the year ending September 2013, 201,035 fraud offences were recorded by the police and Action Fraud based on reports from members of the public. This represents a volume increase of 34 per cent. This rise according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) should be seen in the context of a move towards improved recording of fraud following a move to centralised recording by the police. There were 292,814 reports of fraud to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau from industry bodies. Likewise, businesses have long complained of a lack of police interest or response to reported cases of fraud.
The CSEW shows a 13 per cent fall in violence, household theft is down 19pc and vandalism has dropped by 8pc. The Lib Dem Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker said: “Both the recorded crime statistics and the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales show that police reform is working and crime is continuing to fall. Overall, crime has fallen under this coalition government by more than 10 per cent according to the Crime Survey and this is mirrored by the fall in police recorded crime since 2010. England and Wales are safer than they have been for decades with crime now at its lowest level since the survey began in 1981.
“The Government has made clear that recorded crime statistics must be as robust as possible and we have a strong record on reinforcing their independence and accountability. We asked HMIC in June to carry out an audit of the quality of crime recording in every police force. And earlier this month, the Home Secretary wrote to chief constables emphasising that the police must ensure that crimes are recorded accurately and honestly.”
In the small print, the ONS reports signs of increasing upward pressures in some offence types in the police recorded crime data. For example, shoplifting showed a 4 per cent increase and theft from the person increased by 7pc.
County case
Cheshire for instance has seen overall total recorded crime is down by 0.8 per cent. There have been reductions in criminal damage, arson, non-domestic burglary, whilst increases have been recorded in violent crime, robbery, vehicle offences, domestic burglary and theft.
Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer said: Crime statistics and the way crimes are recorded have come under some criticism recently. Doubts have been raised regarding the reliability and integrity of the figures. I want to reassure the public that I am doing everything I can to ensure that crime recording standards are being properly applied here in Cheshire.
“I have put several measures in place to ensure the public have confidence in the way crime is recorded. These measures include commissioning internal auditors to evaluate the integrity of the crime recording data. In March this year, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary will be conducting a review of the Constabulary’s crime recording. Once the report comes back, I will work closely with the Chief Constable to ensure any recommendations are properly implemented.”
And Cheshire Deputy Chief Constable Helen King said: “Overall, crime is continuing to fall in Cheshire and the county remains one of the safest in the country. Although for this reporting period, we have seen a very slight increase in violent crime we would like to reassure people that the Force is committed to tackling all forms of violent crime and crime of this nature will not be tolerated. Furthermore, it is encouraging to see we are now starting to see a decrease in this type of crime.
“Unfortunately, there has been a slight increase in household burglaries and in particular offenders who have gained access to properties via insecure doors and windows. Tackling this sort of criminality is a top priority for the constabulary and we have had a number of successful operations like we saw yesterday with the arrest of four people believed to be responsible for over 100 burglaries across the county.
“We also need the public to continue to help us. Always report any suspicious activity to police and remain vigilant by taking some very simple steps such as keeping doors and windows locked even when at home. Similarly with vehicle crime, where there has also been a small increase, the public can do their bit to help reduce this by adopting sensible precautions to ensure the security of their vehicles. Always keep your car locked when it is unattended and ensure that any valuable items such as satnavs are not left in full view and are removed from vehicles.”
The county force has seen a decrease in criminal damage and arson which police say is reflective of the proactive work undertaken by neighbourhood officers with key agencies within the community, and local residents.
One area that has seen a significant increase is theft from the person, which often can consist of expensive items such as mobile phones, iPods, iPads and laptops along with purses and wallets. Where possible, people should install apps such as ‘Find My iPhone’ which will enable you to locate a lost or stolen iPhone, iPad or iPod.
ACPO view
For the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), policing lead on crime statistics, Gwent Chief Constable Jeff Farrar said: “It is encouraging that the number of crimes reported to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has fallen by 10 per cent when compared with last year. This is the lowest estimate over the entire history of the survey, which began in 1981 and is now less than half of its peak in 1995.”
“There has also been a three per cent fall in police recorded crime and it is positive that both measures continue to indicate that crime is falling across the country, and that the gap between the two sets of figures continues to narrow.
“The reduction of crime shown in the CSEW includes significant reductions in vehicle and property crime, alongside personal crime. While there has been an increase in the amount of shoplifting and theft from the person recorded by police, there were reductions across the main categories of police recorded crime – such as a nine per cent decrease in the number of offences involving knives and sharp instruments, and a five per cent decrease in the number of offences involving firearms.
“The number of sexual offences recorded by police has increased by 17 per cent. Many of these are historical offences, recorded in the wake of multiple high-profile cases which have encouraged victims to come forward.
“We would always encourage anyone who has suffered abuse, no matter how much time has passed, to report it and have their voice heard. It’s also incredibly important that anyone who has been through the trauma of abuse or sexual assault is provided with support for what they’ve been through.
“Fraud has continued to be a focus for police forces across England and Wales, and the service recently introduced a more efficient centralised crime recording system. This move towards centralised recording is considered to be responsible, in part, for the 34 per cent increase in fraud offences recorded by the police in the year ending September 2013, when compared to the same period in 2012.
“Accurate crime statistics are not only essential in holding police accountable for the work they do in the ongoing fight against crime, but also vital in ensuring that police officers and staff are deployed to the right place at the right time.
“It is disappointing that the UK Statistics Authority has decided to remove the National Statistics designation from police recorded crime statistics as this has come at a time when the service is working to make crime statistics more transparent, more accountable and assure the public of the figures’ integrity.
“However, the police service, supported by HMIC, the Home Office, the Office of National Statistics, the College of Policing and the Crime Statistics Advisory Committee will continue to work hard in order to achieve accuracy and consistency in recorded crime in order to see the National Statistics designation restored.”
