NCJ Number
213645
Date Published
January 2006
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This report presents the most recent data on crime levels in England and Wales based on the British Crime Survey (October 2004 to September 2005) and police recorded crime (July 2005 to September 2005).
Abstract
Twenty-three percent of the citizenry have been victims of some type of crime according to the British Crime Survey (BCS), the lowest percentage since the survey began in 1981. The number of crimes recorded by police decreased 1 percent from July to September 2005 compared with the same period in 2004. BCS interviews in the 12 months prior to September 2005 showed that violent crime was stable compared with the previous year. The BCS showed a statistically significant drop in domestic burglary; domestic burglaries recorded by the police showed a 7-percent decrease. The BCS found a significant decrease in vehicle thefts, and police records indicated a 7-percent decline in vehicle thefts. Police records showed a provisional 11,110 firearm offenses in the year up to September 2005, a 1-percent increase compared with the previous year. This increase was mainly due to offenses that involved imitation weapons. Respondents in the BCS perceived that antisocial behavior had increased slightly compared with the previous year; worry about violent crime and burglary had also increased, while worry about vehicle crime remained stable. The public's confidence in the police, the courts, and corrections improved compared with the previous year, with the proportion of people confident in their local police increasing from 48 percent to 49 percent compared with the previous year. 6 tables and 4 figures