Recorded crime falls in England and Wales
Published: 19 July 2012
- Date:
- 19 July 2012
Crime figures for pickpocketing, shoplifting and bicycle theft rose by two per cent
Recorded police crime has fallen by four per cent to below four million for the first time since 1989, according to Office for National Statistics figures
This includes the number of homicides which were 550 in 2011-2012 and 88 fewer than the previous year.
Offences such as pickpocketing, shoplifting and bicycle theft rose by two per cent and this was the only crime category to show a rise.
Separate data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which interviewed 46,000 adults, found that about 9.5 million criminal offences took place. This was similar to the previous year.
Javed Khan, Victim Support Chief Executive, said: “Although we welcome the fall in overall crime, the 9.5 million crimes recorded in the Crime Survey for England and Wales is still too high. The rise in pickpocketing, thefts of wallets and unattended bags is also worrying and can be the cause of upset for many victims. So we cannot afford to be complacent in the fight against crime.
“Victim Support helps thousands of people move on from the trauma of crime every day. The challenge for the police and other criminal justice agencies is to carry on their good work to drive down the level of crime and reduce the number of victims.”