Crime Statistics

Crime rates are published each year in a report that looks at both reported and unreported crimes. National, local and street level crime information is now available online

How crime is measured

Crime is measured in two ways:

• The police keep a record of all crimes reported to them
• The government carries out a large household survey to ask the public about their experience of crime

Why are both crime measurements needed?

Both methods give a complete count of all crime, and they have different strengths and weaknesses.

Police records cover all crime reported to or identified by the police. This includes both commercial and ‘victimless’ crime (such as possession of drugs) as well as crimes reported by the public. However, only about 40 per cent of crimes are actually reported to the police.

To fill that gap of unreported crime, the crime survey asks thousands of people each year about their own experiences with crime. This means that crimes that are never reported to the police are included. However, the crime survey does not cover commercial crime or so-called ‘victimless’ crimes (such as possession of drugs). Also, because it is a survey of crime victims, it cannot cover murder.

Used together, though, the police records and the annual crime survey form a picture of crime trends in the country. A detailed report covering both measurements is published each year, with brief updates published quarterly.

The justice system where you live

There are several different ways of bringing offences to justice. Many offences result in convictions in court, others are 'taken into consideration' by judges and magistrates when criminals are sentenced for different crimes. Less serious offences are handled outside of courts through cautions, penalty notices (on-the-spot fines) or verbal warnings given by police.

Generally, it's hard to fairly compare the number of crimes reported to police with the number of crimes brought to justice. There are several reasons for that, including:

• It can take months or years for criminals to go on trial for their crimes
• One arrest can solve many crimes
• One crime can involve several offenders