The City of London Police’s latest crime summary figures show that crime fell by 4%in 2011-2012. Violent crime is down: for the fifth consecutive year the City has seen a fall in the total of sexual offences, robbery and violence against the person.
The number of theft offences has also fallen, while motor vehicle crime has dropped by 28%.
City of London Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard commented: “These figures are pleasing, but what is more important is the story behind them: officers working hard to make sure fewer members of our community become victims of crime.”
Leppard – who only recently gave an excellent speech in the City in front of a selected audience of guests orchestrated by London First – added: “It’s even more of an achievement when considered against the backdrop of challenging police budget cuts and the City becoming the focus of a protest that earned headlines around the world.”
The Commissioner also paid tribute to the Safer City Partnership. “That the Square Mile remains a very safe place,” he said, “is thanks not only to the police but also to the work of our community, particularly the Crime Prevention Association and Safer City Partnership. The falling crime figures we see today are our reward for those efforts.”
Simon Duckworth, chairman of the Police Committee, explained: “My time as chairman of the Police Committee has seen significant changes in the wider policing landscape, but within the City we have been particularly fortunate to witness real consistency in the falling crime rate.”
Duckworth continued: “That is the result of both initiative and hard work, and I would like to extend our thanks to the Commissioner and his team for achieving this. I would also echo his remarks that there’s no greater incentive or reward for their hard work than to achieve a safer City for all those that live, work or visit the heart of our capital.”
Crime Survey for England and Wales: latest figures
Latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) show no statistically significant change in overall crime, while crimes recorded by the police fell by 3% in 2011 compared with the previous year.
These findings continue recent trends, with CSEW crime remaining fairly flat since 2004-2005 and recorded crime showing small year-on-year reductions.
However, while there hasn’t been a rise in overall crime increases in some sub-categories have been posted. For example, the police recorded a 5% increase in the ‘other’ theft group and a 3% increase in robbery.
Generally, other forms of acquisitive crimes have not increased. The police have recorded a 3% fall in domestic burglaries and a 7% fall in offences against vehicles while the survey shows no statistically significant change in comparable categories.
Street theft in England and Wales has increased by 10%, which is the biggest rise for a decade. Rates of personal theft – pick-pocketing, for example – which had been falling are back to 2008 levels.
This is the first time the former British Crime Survey has been published by the Office for National Statistics following responsibility being passed on by the Home Office.
Views of ACPO and the Police Federation
ACPO’s lead on statistics, deputy chief constable Douglas Paxton, said: “The latest crime statistics show the ongoing determination of the service to reduce crime, protect the public and improve confidence. The reduction in crime and rise in public confidence are being achieved alongside ongoing efforts to secure significant cash savings and efficiencies within the police service.”
Paxton continued: “Police recorded data for the 12 months to December 2011 shows that overall crime is down 3% when compared with the previous 12 months. The newly-named independent Crime Survey for England and Wales remains steady and broadly in line with police recorded crime.”
ACPO believes that public confidence in the police is also reflected in the survey, with increases in the number of people who believe the police in their local area are doing a good or excellent job and increases in the proportion of people who agree that the police are dealing with the things that matter to people in the community.
“Violence against the person decreased by 7%,” added Paxton, “while domestic burglaries dropped 3% and most other categories show reductions in police recorded crime. Particularly pleasing is the reduction in criminal damage shown in both police statistics and the crime survey. However, there have been increases in opportunistic thefts and robbery offences and police forces are continuing their efforts to work with partners and the public to prevent these offences.”
He concluded: “The service is determined to continue to build on the good work reflected in these publications, but the results are a credit to those officers and staff who have faced the challenge of major efficiencies while continuing to tackle crime in our communities.”
Members of the public “right to be concerned”
Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has also commented on the crime figures.
“The latest crime statistics demonstrate that we are on a cusp, with worrying signs that after 15 years of falling crime it could now be on its way up,” asserted McKeever.
“The increases in knife crime and robbery are of particular concern as these are deterred by visible police officer patrols and proactive policing by warranted officers. We have lost over 5,200 frontline police officers in the last year and, with numbers continuing to plummet, members of the public are right to be concerned.”
McKeever went on to state: “Police officers continue to do their upmost to uphold the law and protect communities, but as the cuts take effect and the privatisation of frontline police roles creeps in we’re concerned that we’ll be unable to provide the same quality of service that the public rightly deserves and expects.”
In ending his statement, McKeever outlined: “While we do not find it surprising that the latest figures show a growth in public confidence in policing, we are at risk of undoing all our efforts as we see the numbers of police officers decreasing.”