Rises in estimated vehicle thefts and violent crime are part of the latest official Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). For the statistics in full visit the ONS website.
An estimated 1.2 million incidents of violence experienced by adults aged 16 and over in the latest CSEW survey year ending December 2017 meant no significant change from the previous year. In the year ending March 2017, the CSEW – a face to face survey in England and Wales – showed that more than half of violent crime victims (57pc) did not report their experiences to the police. Around two in every 100 adults were a victim of CSEW violent crime in the latest survey year, compared with around three in 100 adults in the survey year ending March 2007 and five in 100 adults in 1995 (the peak year).
On vehicle-related theft, there was a 17pc increase in offences estimated by the CSEW (to 929,000), while a 16pc increase was also seen in vehicle offences recorded by the police (to 452,683), continuing the rising trend seen over the last two years.
It’s not all bad news; as the ONS puts it, their latest CSEW estimate of 10.6 million crimes against the household population may seem like a big number, but most people do not experience crime. The survey showed that the majority of adults (eight in ten) were not a victim of any of the crimes asked about in the survey (including cyber fraud) in the previous 12 months. The likelihood of being a victim has fallen considerably since 1995, the ONS adds.
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For most types of offence, the picture of crime has been fairly stable, with levels much lower than the peak seen in the mid-1990s, said Alexa Bradley, Crime Statistics and Analysis, Office for National Statistics. “Eight in ten adults had not experienced any of the crimes asked about in our survey in the latest year. However, we have seen an increase in the relatively rare, but “high-harm” violent offences such as homicide, knife crime and gun crime, a trend that has been emerging over the previous two years. We have also seen evidence that increases in some types of theft have continued, in particular vehicle-related theft and burglary.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Crime Recording and Statistics, Lincolnshire Chief Constable Bill Skelly said: “In the last year policing has been under strain as traditional crimes are committed in new and more sophisticated ways, the terror threat has grown and there’s a need to safeguard an increasing number of vulnerable people. While the Crime Survey of England and Wales, which is based on people’s experience of crime, indicates that crime is falling overall, police data shows that violent crime and the associated homicides, car crime and theft are all increasing significantly. These rises are genuine and deeply concerning but the public should be assured we are doing everything we can to bring them down and keep the public safe.
“After many years of reductions, car crime and theft are now increasing. Forces continue to target organised crime gangs and prolific offenders, who are increasingly using sophisticated methods to commit crime.
“Tackling violent crime isn’t something police forces can do alone – it requires a whole system approach. Officers continue to employ stop and search to seize knives and weapons and we work closely with schools to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife and stop them from turning to a life of crime. As set out in the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, early intervention is desperately needed to make long term change.”
For Mr Skelly’s comments on Lincolnshire’s figures (one of the safer counties in crime terms) visit the Lincolnshire Police website.
For Labour, Louise Haigh, Sheffield MP and Shadow Policing Minister, said that the Tories have created the conditions for crime, including serious violent crime, to thrive. “The Home Secretary has comprehensively failed to protect the public. Whether it’s Windrush citizens or victims of violent crime, the Home Secretary has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the evidence staring her in the face. The Tories have axed 21,000 police officers, and neighbourhood policing, which helps to prevent crime, has been undermined. Our communities are now exposed and we have a Government unwilling or unable to put it right.”
Photo by Mark Rowe; graffiti, Brighton.
