38. Crime*
Number of crimes: (a) vehicle thefts (b) domestic burglary (c) violent crime, 1990 to 2007-8
England and Wales:
Recorded crime for (a) vehicles (b) domestic burglary
(c) robbery, 1970 to 2007-8
Scotland: recorded crime for (a) vehicles
(b) housebreaking in a dwelling* (c) robbery, 1995 to 2006-7
Northern Ireland: recorded
crime for (a) vehicles (b) domestic burglary (c) robbery, 1990 to 2007-8
- 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 2007-8, estimates from the BCS indicate vehicle thefts fell by 61 per cent, burglary by 47 per cent and violent crime by 15 per cent. Violent crime in 2007-8 was 30 per cent below levels estimated in 1999.
- 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 recorded vehicular related theft, burglary and robbery have all fallen between 2002-3 and 2007-8.
- Recorded vehicle theft and robbery in Northern Ireland decreased between 1990 and 2007-8 by 50 and 30 per cent respectively. Recorded burglary was around the same in 2007-8 as in 1990 (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 decreased by 67 per cent and recorded robbery by 33 per cent between 1995-6 and 2006-7. Recorded housebreaking in a dwelling fell by 56 per cent between 1995-6 and 2006-7.
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