Number of Crimes in England and Wales Lowest Since Records Began
The number of crimes fell to 8.6 million in England and Wales in the year up to March 2013, the lowest figure since records began in 1981.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it was a 9% decrease compared with last year and overall crime is now running at half the level it peaked at in 1995.
Home Secretary Theresa May praised the police forces but also her own government, which she said had “played its part by slashing red tape and scrapping targets to enable the police to focus on crime fighting”.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, “It’s one of the great triumphs of recent years that we’ve seen crime come down.”
The stats also showed that firearm offences have dropped by 15% in year ending March 2013, continuing to fall since a peak registered in 2005/2006 and offences that involved a knife or sharp instrument decreased by 15% compared with the previous year.
