Crime Statistics You Need To Know About

The police crime statistics are in and, unfortunately, it’s not good news. Violent crime and sex offences have risen sharply in England and Wales over the past year. In addition to this, we have also seen increases in the crime statistics in knife crime and robbery. So what are we to make of these worrying statistics? There are a number of interpretations to make of the data we have.

Crime Statistics and the Number of Police Officers

While recorded sexual offences and violent crimes have doubled over the past three years, the correlation between this rise in offences and the fall in the numbers of police officers cannot be overlooked. Between September 2016 and September 2017 the number of police has fallen to 121,929.

While we correlation does not imply causation, it’s undeniable that rises in crime and falling police numbers are putting increased strain on the police force. The Prime Minister has stated that “The independent Office for National Statistics is clear that overall, traditional crime is continuing to fall […] it’s now down by almost 40% since 2010.

However, there are other aspects to consider when it comes to the perceived rise of violent crime and sexual offences; these are:

Crime Statistics Over 40 Years

While the crime statistics for the past three years do look quite damning, it’s important to consider the trends in crime over a longer period of time. The Office of National Statistics notes that crime levels peaked in the mid-1990s. These crimes included violent crime, vehicular crime and burglary. Since the mid-1990s, crime levels have been falling, albeit with occasional minor increases.

Number of reported crimes between 1981 and 2017.

Limits on Crime Statistic Data?

It’s important to recognise that the data we see from police crime statistics can be quite limited. Firstly, because the police can only (naturally) provide statistics for crimes that they’re made aware of. This means that there could be further violent crimes and sexual offences that have not been accounted for.

The Office of National Statistics suggests that the increase in violent crime can be attributed to improvements to police recording processes and practices, more victims recording crimes, as well as genuine increases in crime.

Combating the Increase in Crime

As a business owner and a member of the public, the threat of violent crime and sexual offences will naturally be a cause for deep concern. We recommend the installation of security cameras around your business premises, in order to act as a deterrent for criminals of all varieties. We offer a free site inspection, which allows us to see which areas of your premises would benefit from increased security. For more information about any of our security solutions, get in touch today. We are always happy to hear from you.

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