The Home Office British Crime Survey 2000 does cover household crimes such as burglary and car crimes, but it does have insights for the private security industry professional.
Bi-annual statistics for England and Wales that have since gone annual showed a fall between 1997 and 1999 in nearly all the offences measured. Recorded crime rose in the 1980s and early 1990s, but fell between 1995 and 1997, the last crime survey. The survey found 2,956,000 car crime thefts and attempted thefts in 1999, a fifth of all crime in the BCS survey: of that total 1,811,000 were thefts from vehicles and 812,000 were attempted thefts. Between 1997 and 1999, the number of thefts from vehicles fell by 11 per cent; thefts from vehicles fell by 16 per cent, and attempted thefts by 17 per cent. That is, England and Wales fell by 32 per cent between 1995 and 1999. While the survey did not comment on what caused the fall, it pointed to increased security in newer models of cars; CCTV; and the Secured Car Park scheme.
Times and places
Most vehicle-related crime happens in the evening or at night, whereas burglaries are spread out fairly evenly over the day and night. The survey mentions other research on the risk of theft of and from cars, because it stands to reason that a car is more at risk the longer it is parked in any place – what is called in the survey ?parking exposure?. It is known that cars in public car parks are more at risk than in a street outside their home or work. Among the many statistics, it is interesting that 31 per cent of vehicles recovered are damaged beyond repair, suggesting that many car criminals are casual rather than professional. Professional Security Magazine reported in September 2000 that security guards and the police are most at risk from work-related violence: in 1997, 11.4 per cent of ?security and protective services? workers were assaulted, compared with the average of 1.2 per cent. On average, 4.2 per cent of adults in England and Wales were the victim of one or more violent crimes in 1999 – which breaks down to 5.3 per cent of men and 3.3 per cent for women. High-risk categories include young men, Asians, the unemployed, and those in poor housing areas. Where the violent crime happens is spread between the home (in first place, with 26 per cent) followed by the street (23 per cent), a pub or club (19 per cent) and the workplace (17 per cent).
– For a copy of the survey you can e-mail the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Unit at [email protected]; ring 020 7273 2084 or write to Communication Unit, Room 201, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne?s Gate, London SW1H 9AT.
