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"While the BCS shows violence falling by 40 per cent since 1997, with a 12 per cent fall in the last year alone, we also know that knives are still being used in the most serious violent incidents"

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith

According to the annual publication 'Crime in England and Wales 2007/08', produced by the Home Office under the new arrangements for statistics overseen by the new UK Statistical Authority, the risk of being a victim of crime has fallen from 24 to 22 per cent, the lowest level ever recorded since the BCS began in 1981.

The volume includes results from the BCS and crimes recorded by the police. All BCS crime is down by ten per cent compared with 2006/07 and police recorded crime by nine per cent. Decreases were recorded in nearly every crime type, including:

• violent crime down by 12 per cent according to the BCS
• police recorded sex offences down seven per cent
• vandalism down ten per cent according to the BCS
• police recorded violence against the person down eight per cent
• vehicle related theft down 11 per cent according to the BCS
• domestic burglary reported to the police down four per cent
• perceptions of anti-social behaviour down two percentage points to 16 per cent.

This builds on historic reductions in crime over recent years. Since 1997, crime measured by the BCS has fallen by 39 per cent with violence down by 40 per cent and burglary down by over half (55 per cent).

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "The government's priority is to build on what we have achieved so that everyone feels improvement. We are firmly committed to deliver further reductions in the crimes that most concern people, particularly violence involving knives and guns. Whilst the BCS shows violence falling by 40 per cent since 1997, with a 12 per cent fall in the last year alone, we also know that knives are still being used in the most serious violent incidents."

Further information

'Crime in England and Wales 2007/08' is available online on the Home Office website.

• Crime in England and Wales 2007/08 (PDF, 1.85MB) (opens new window)