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Creating sustainable communities and a fairer world

38. Crime*

Number of crimes: (a) vehicle thefts (b) domestic burglary (c) violent crime, 1990 to 2008-9

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England and Wales: Recorded crime for (a) vehicles (b) domestic burglary (c) robbery, 1970 to 2008-9

recorded

Scotland: recorded crime for (a) vehicles (b) housebreaking in a dwelling* (c) robbery, 1995 to 2007-8

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Northern Ireland: recorded crime for (a) vehicles (b) domestic burglary (c) robbery, 1990 to 2008-9

psni

Number of Crime since:
1990
Green
2003
Green
  • The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides the best guide to long term trends in crime as it has been carried out using a consistent methodology and is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting of crime to the police, recording practices or police activity.
  • In England and Wales between 1991 and 2008-9 estimates from the BCS indicate vehicle-related thefts fell by 61 per cent, burglary by 46 per cent and violent crime by 17 per cent.  BCS violence in 2008-9 was 19 per cent below levels estimated in 2003-4.
  • The number of crimes recorded by the police can be difficult to interpret because trends have been influenced by counting rule changes in 1998, the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in 2002 (2004 for Scotland), and the inclusion of British Transport Police figures, all of which have tended to increase the number of crimes recorded. 
  • Recording has been consistent since 2002-3 in England and Wales, and overall police recorded vehicular related theft, burglary and robbery have all fallen between 2002-3 and 2008-9.
  • Recorded vehicle theft and robbery  in Northern Ireland decreased between 1990 and 2008-9 by 50 per cent and , 21 per cent respectively.  Recorded burglary in Northern Ireland increased by 11  per cent within the same period. (From 1995 burglary included attempted burglary. 
  • Differences in legal systems and police recording mean that the recorded crime figures for Scotland are not directly comparable with recorded crime figures for England and Wales. In Scotland, recorded vehicle theft and robbery decreased by 71 per cent and 43 per cent respectively between 1995-6 and 2007-8. Recorded housebreaking in a dwelling fell by 63 per cent between 1995-6 and 2007-8.

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Updated: 30 July 2009