Public perception of crime higher despite falling figures, report says

Social Trends report shows two-thirds of people think crime is on rise, while statistics reveal it is at lowest level for 30 years Nearly two-thirds of people believe that in England and Wales is on the rise despite crime levels falling to their lowest level for 30 years last year, according to official statistics. The Office for National Statistics said the gap between public perception and reality was greatest for levels of knife crime and bank card fraud, and that this could reflect media concern about these two types of crime. However, the newly-published Social Trends crime and justice chapter showed that the perception of crime at local level was much more in line with official crime figures, with only 28% reporting that crime in their local area had gone up. The annual publication said data from the British crime survey showed that 60% of adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales thought crime had risen at the national level. The detailed findings also showed that people believe their chances of becoming victim of burglary, car crime and violent crime are a lot higher than actual rates. The figures revealed that the murder rate fell from 644 in 2008-09 to 619 in 2009-10, and gun crime fell by 36% since it peaked in 2005-06. The report also suggested that the “war on motorists” – which coalition ministers pledged to end – actually peaked more than five years ago. It revealed that the scale of fixed penalty fines issued for motoring offences had halved since 2005, when 1.9m fines were handed out for speeding and traffic offences after being caught on camera. Statistics show that the figure fell to just over 1 million in 2009, the 935,000 tickets issued for speeding being the lowest level since 2001. Last year, the transport secretary, Phillip Hammond, promised to scrap public funding for the further expansion of speed cameras. The Social Trend report also revealed the profile of adult offenders going to prison in England and Wales last year. Of this group, 48% have a reading age at or below the expected level of an 11-year-old, and 82% have a writing age at or below the level of an 11-year-old. More than 60% have drug problems, 44% need help with alcohol and 22% want help with mental health problems. The report shows that crime levels in England and Wales in 2009/10 were at their lowest levels since the British crime survey began in 1981. The fall in crime has coincided with a period when police funding in England and Wales has been at its highest recorded level – £12.6bn in 2009/10, 44% higher than in 1995/96. Crime Office for National Statistics Knife crime Liberal-Conservative coalition Prisons and probation Social trends Alan Travis guardian.co.uk

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