I think you'll find that peoples perception is that crime is on the up but in actual fact, crime rates have fallen pretty much across the board. In Dorset, where I work, the only crime that is up at the moment is burglary and robbery and that can, in part, be explained by the downturn in the economy where such crimes become more commonplace. Serious violent crime is down some 15% and lower level violence is also down around that figure. Overall crime is down 6.4% in Dorset. So people continue to perceive what they want to perceive and the only reason these other crimes go unreported is because the newspapers don't publish them because they're not going to sell papers. Sad but true.
Oh, and crime rates in Dorset have fallen every year for the last 10 years. No doubt someone will suggest that the figures are manipulated but there will always be such conspiracy theorists. I have no hand in totting up the figures, I simply do my best to try and bring them down and to protect children, first and foremost.
|