Crime continues to fall under coalition government
Independent survey shows more than two million fewer crimes in the past year compared with 2010.
Crime in England and Wales is down by more than 20 per cent under this government, figures released today show.
There were more than two million fewer crimes in the past year compared with 2010, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker said:
Police reform is working and crime is down by more than 20 per cent under this government according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.
There are now 2.3 million fewer crimes per year than when the coalition government took office. That includes 413,000 fewer acts of violence and 160,000 fewer burglaries, with criminal damage down by 962,000 incidents. This is good news for a safer England and Wales.
There are also positive signs that police recording of crime is improving, and that more victims of crimes such as sexual offences and fraud are coming forward – which is something we welcome.
Police recorded crime figures show an increase of 21% in all sexual offences for the year ending June 2014 compared with the previous year (up from 55,915 to 67,805 offences).
A report also published today by the Home Office – Hate Crimes, England and Wales 2013/14 – reveals there were 44,480 hate crimes recorded by the police, an increase of 5 per cent compared with the previous year.
Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker said:
The coalition government is determined to tackle hate crime wherever it occurs. The increase in recorded hate crime shows that more victims are coming forward and that the police are improving the way they identify hate crimes, and we welcome this.
Our cross-government hate crime action plan brings together the work of a wide range of departments and agencies to prevent hate crime happening in the first place, increase reporting and victims’ access to support and improve the operational response to hate crimes.
Everyone should be able to live their lives free from fear of suffering hostility, harassment or violence simply because of who they are.