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Good Society > Published by Shamik Das, July 15th 2010 at 4:11 pm

It’s official: Crime fell 43% during Labour’s time in power

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Official statistics out today show that crime fell by 43 per cent between 1997 and 2010. The British Crime Survey reveals that crime is down 9 per cent from 10.5 million to 9.6 million offences in the past year – the lowest figure since 1981 and the first time the number has dropped below the 10 million mark since records began – while police recorded crime fell 8 per cent, down from 4.7 million to 4.3 million crimes.

Crime-trends-1981-2010

There has been no significant change in violent crime in the past year, though longer-term, as with overall crime, it is down 50 per cent since its peak in 1995. Homicides are down 6 per cent in the last year to 615, and down significantly from the figure of 753 in 2007/8, though sexual offences are up 6 per cent since 2008/09, to 54,509.

Gun and knife crime, which together account for just 1 per cent of overall crime, are both down. The number of firearms offences is down 3 per cent to 7,995 (0.2% of all offences), with knife crime down 7 per cent to 33,566 (0.8% of all offences).

The BCS also shows that young men face a higher risk of being a victim of stranger violence (2.2% of men compared with 0.6% of women), and that women are at greater risk of domestic abuse (7% of women aged 16 to 59 were victims in the past year compared with 4% of men); with regard to area, the BCS shows the risk of being a victim of any household crime was higher for households living in urban than rural areas (18% compared with 12%).

According to the BCS, the proportions of the 9.6 million offences committed in 2009/10 by category are: burglary (7%); vehicle-related theft (13%); all other theft (33%); vandalism (25%); and violence, including robbery but excluding sexual offences (22%).

While the police recorded crime stats for the 4.3 million offences recorded in 2009/10 are: burglary (12%); offences against vehicles (11%); other thefts (24%); fraud and forgery (4%); criminal damage (19%); violence against the person (20%); sexual offences (1%); robbery (2%); drug offences (5%); and all other offences (2%).

Shadow home secretary Alan Johnson said the statistics showed that Labour’s law and order policies had worked. He said:

“These figures again demonstrate how impressively the police and other agencies tackled crime under the Labour Government…

“But rather than congratulating everyone who has worked so hard to make our country safer, we now have the bizarre spectacle of Tory ministers trashing the official figures which show undeniably that crime has fallen.”

Police minister Nick Herbert said:

“It is welcome when crime falls but let’s get this into perspective, Britain is a high crime country.”

And home secretary Theresa May said:

“No society should accept a situation where at least 26,000 people a day fall victim to crime - that is why we will reform the police to make them more accountable to their communities and cut bureaucracy to get officers on to the beat and fighting crime.

“This is why we want the public to know what is really going on in their area and will publish monthly crime information about what is happening on their streets by January next year.”

  • http://twitter.com/houseoftwitslab/status/18609797607 HouseOfTwitsLab

    RT @leftfootfwd It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/houseoftwits/status/18609799017 House Of Twits

    RT @leftfootfwd It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/chrisrothwell1/status/18609825912 Chris Rothwell

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/longshanks1980/status/18609854693 Richard Astley

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/jonathan_todd/status/18609948561 Jonathan Todd

    RT @HouseofTwitsLab: RT @leftfootfwd It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/westernshores/status/18610556575 Pen

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • Mr. Sensible

    Will be interested to see what happens when the Home Offce cuts police officers…

  • http://twitter.com/ciphergoth/status/18610965607 Paul Crowley

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/carlhunt3r/status/18611281939 Carl Hunter

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • Liz McShane

    Mr Sensible – I wonder will the Tories adopt UKIP’s policy (articulated so beautifully by Lord Pearson) about getting retired policemen to act as some sort of community/village wardens…..?

  • http://twitter.com/thistlejohn/status/18612489483 Paris Gourtsoyannis

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/humphreycushion/status/18612624780 Humphrey Cushion

    Wow, check this graph out:: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/class_war/status/18612922704 Nick Hider

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/ericpickled/status/18613304339 Eric Pickled

    RT @humphreycushion: Wow, check this graph out:: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP >> no no, it's upside down Chica. That can't be right.
    #ConDemNation

  • http://twitter.com/andrewducker/status/18614829025 Andrew Ducker

    Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power http://bit.ly/9Kuwpe

  • http://twitter.com/jruddy99/status/18616297310 John Ruddy

    Stick that in your pipe, Grayling! RT @leftfootfwd: Official-Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power http://bit.ly/9Kuwpe

  • http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/07/15/it%e2%80%99s-official-crime-fell-43-during-labour%e2%80%99s-time-in-power/ It’s official: Crime fell 43% during Labour’s time in power « The best Labour blogs

    [...] More… [...]

  • Anon E Mouse

    This is stating the blinking obvious – Alan Johnson said it on R4 as well.

    If you lock criminals up they can’t commit crime. Why on earth Ken Clarke is saying that is not true I do not know unless it’s the Lib Dems influence…

  • http://twitter.com/prettypolymath/status/18621974356 Prettypolymath

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/davidebaines/status/18623074327 David Baines

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power: http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/humphreycushion/status/18630171419 Humphrey Cushion

    Did you guys see this graph yet? http://bit.ly/b0lbAv WOW !

  • http://twitter.com/iainmonty/status/18630304173 Iain Montgomery

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power http://bit.ly/9Kuwpe <Tories in denial, as usual

  • http://twitter.com/catkins500/status/18631428947 Chris Atkins

    RT @humphreycushion: Did you guys see this graph yet? http://bit.ly/b0lbAv WOW !-wont last with police cuts & widespread poverty #torycuts

  • http://twitter.com/martingibbins/status/18632081813 MartinGibbins

    http://bit.ly/ajNOZP anyone know why the BSC trend seems to not follow recorded crime as closely after new counting rules? #labour

  • http://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/18637121211 sunny hundal

    So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/jameseasylol/status/18637172068 James Easy

    RT @sunny_hundal: So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/averyps/status/18637177602 Phil BC

    RT @sunny_hundal So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP << Don't be silly.

  • http://twitter.com/jowardplatt/status/18637217081 Joanne Platt

    RT @sunny_hundal: So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/jakeanders/status/18637800036 Jake Anders

    RT @leftfootfwd: It's official: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power http://bit.ly/9Kuwpe

  • http://twitter.com/derekjohnbryant/status/18637890987 Derek Bryant

    RT @sunny_hundal So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://twitter.com/swralmond/status/18673902756 Stephen Almond

    RT @sunny_hundal: So, will Tories now admit they lied repeatedly about crime going up under Labour? http://bit.ly/ajNOZP

  • http://alexross.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/if-the-uk-is-a-%e2%80%98high-crime%e2%80%99-country-as-crime-falls-to-its-lowest-recorded-levels-what-on-earth-was-it-like-under-the-last-tory-government/ If the UK is a ‘high-crime’ country as crime falls to its lowest recorded levels, what on earth was it like under the last Tory government? « Alex Ross

    [...] figures out show crime has dropped again to it’s lowest level since records began in 1981, a quite astonishing statistic when you consider [...]

  • Evidence based? Really?

    But you’ll concede this was a worldwide trend that started under the tories right? No?! I’ll concede my party has talked bollocks and you should concede this wasn’t anything to do with a progressive revolution, guys thats how evidence works- in fact tory policy is far more progressive than yours!

  • http://twitter.com/drjon/status/18759886019 drjon

    RT @andrewducker: Crime fell 43% during Labour's time in power http://bit.ly/9Kuwpe

  • http://twitter.com/martingibbins/status/18835449097 MartinGibbins

    http://bit.ly/ajNOZP anyone know why the BSC trend seems to not follow recorded crime as closely after new counting rules? #labour 3rd ask

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/10/cameron-cuts-back-on-truth/ Cameron cuts back on truth | Left Foot Forward

    [...] the Chris Grayling book of dishonesty on crime numbers. As Left Foot Forward has repeatedly shown, crime fell by 43 per cent during Labour’s time in [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/10/camerons-speech-unraveling-fast/ Cameron’s speech unraveling fast | Left Foot Forward

    [...] latter particularly egregious since, as Left Foot Forward has repeatedly reported, crime actually fell 43 per cent during Labour’s time in power. Share | Permalink | Comments: [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/10/express-attack-on-labours-law-and-order-record-fails-to-report-fall-in-crime/ Express attack on Labour’s law and order record fails to report fall in crime | Left Foot Forward

    [...] last year, and fell dramatically throughout labour’s time in power. As Shamik Das reported in Left Foot Forward, official statistics show that crime fell by 43 per cent between 1997 and [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/07/post-phone-hacking-things-will-only-get-worse-for-the-police-as-theresa-mays-cuts-begin-to-bite/ Things will only get worse for the police as May’s cuts begin to bite | Left Foot Forward

    [...] doing so against a backdrop of such devastating cuts is a recipe for disaster. The hard-won 43 per cent reduction in crime under Labour looks imperilled as the government tries to make the case that ‘necessity is the mother of [...]