In the Media

Graphic: how the murder rate has fallen

PUBLISHED July 19, 2012
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Annual crime figures show that the homicide rate has fallen steeply over the last decade, from a high in 2002 when 172 deaths were identified as likely to have been caused by the family GP Dr Harold Shipman.

More broadly, overall crime dropped slightly to 3.97 million crimes, it's lowest figure in two decades.

Interactive chart: Crime Survey: homicides since 1960

The release includes total recorded crimes from police forces across the country and the headline results from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

The Crime Survey is a large, nationally representative survey in which households are asked about their experience of crime during the previous 12 months.

It is considered to provide a more reliable indicator of trends, as the method of recording crimes by police has changed several times over recent years.

Interactive chart: Crime Survey : trends in recorded crime

Overall police recorded a fall in violent crime in England and Wales of 7 per cent (from 822,000 offences in 2010/11 to 763,000 offences in 2011/12) and a fall in robberies by 2 per cent.

While burglary and vehicle theft recorded by the police also fell, other theft offences have risen by 2 per cent, following a 4 per cent rise last year.

These figures take into account the huge increase in metal thefts which have blighted the country. More than 1000 such thefts are thought to take place every week. A recent survey by the Local Government Association found that 88 per cent of councils have fallen prey to the thieves in the last three years.

Earlier this month, a bronze sculpture by British artist Henry Moore - thought to be worth up to £500,000 - was stolen from the grounds of his former home.

Interactive chart: Crime Survey: rates in selected offences

Separate research conducted by the Violence and Society Research Group at Cardiff University also indicates falls in the levels of violent crime.

Findings from their annual survey of emergency departments in England and Wales, showed an overall decrease of 4 per cent in violence-related attendances in 2011 compared to the previous year.

NHS admissions data also shows that for the 12 months to the end of September 2011 there were 40,033 hospital admissions for assault, down 2 per cent on the previous twelve months.

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