Crime (Hansard, 17 March 2003)

§ Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the change in the volume of crime was between 1997 and the latest date for which information is available, in each police authority in England. [99811]

§ Mr. Denham
The percentage changes for total recorded crime between the 12 months to March 1997 and the 12 months to March 2002, by police force area in England, are given in the table.
There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998 which increased the total number of crimes recorded in England and Wales as a whole by 14 per cent., although this varied for individual police forces and offence types. Comparisons between the old counting rules and the new rules for the year ending March 1999, as well as the effects of the boundary change involving the Metropolitan Police on 1 April 2000, are included in the table. The percentage change in the number of recorded crimes given in the table is calculated so that the effects of these changes are excluded.
As a result of several forces adopting the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002, numbers of offences recorded for 2001–02 may have been inflated for those forces, and in total. Unlike the changes described above, this effect has not been factored out of the calculation of the percentage change in recorded crime given in the table.
577W

Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997–England

April 1996 To March 1999 April 1999 to March 2000

Police force are April 1996 to March 1997 Old rules¹ New rule¹ Old boundaries New boundaries April 2001 to March 2002 Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)³

Yorkshire and the Humber Region 582,255 538,527 592,868 566,933 — 610,223 -4.8

Derbyshire 77,320 74,047 84,459 85,650 — 89,841 1.9

Leicestershire 89,881 81,714 93,397 94,577 — 88,535 -13.8

Lincolnshire 47,698 39,718 46,670 46,170 — 49,797 -11.2

Northamptonshire 55,003 55,842 65,466 61,240 — 60,485 -6.2

Nottinghamshire 140,088 123,680 135,255 136,875 — 159,240 3.9

East Midlands Region 409,990 375,001 425,247 424,512 — 447,898 3.7

Staffordshire³ 92,686 84,495 91,919 98,852 — 117,274 16.3

Warwickshire³ 38,229 35,659 38,485 38,593 — 42,211 2.3

West Mercia³ 82,080 69,451 81,782 84,797 — 102,149 5.7

West Midlands³ 305,818 276,512 314,628 364,887 — 372,257 7.0

West Midlands Region 518,813 466,117 526,814 587,129 — 633,891 8.1

Bedfordshire 50,969 43,947 49,076 53,607 — 52,239 -8.2

Cambridgeshire 67,396 59,678 67,256 68,722 — 69,559 -8.4

Essex² 99,041 87,147 95,797 102,777 108,305 113,150 -1.4

Hertfordshire² 52,454 46,255 49,309 52,741 65,015 67.437 -2.2

Norfolk 55,988 51,167 57,129 59,387 — 58,954 -5.7

Suffolk³ 37,496 34,280 39,908 43,355 — 50,492 15.7

East of England Region 363,344 322,474 358,475 380,589 398,391 411,831 -2.6

London, City of 4,754 6,035 7,144 7,775 — 10,098 79.4

Metropolitan Police² 844,306 767,880 934,254 1,052,047 1,016,742 1,057,360 6.5

London Region 849,060 773,915 941,398 1,059,822 1,024,517 1,067,458 6.9

Hampshire 133,529 115,008 128,253 135,174 — 135,961 -8.7

Kent³ 141,781 110,244 129,340 124,918 — 120,155 -27.8

Surrey² 41,517 36,376 42,467 46,288 63,791 61,970 -7.2

Sussex 118,339 111,468 130,402 136,566 — 135,110 -2.4

Thames Valley 168,386 161,646 176,477 191,875 — 196,980 7.2

South East Region 603,552 534,742 606,939 634,821 652,324 650,176 -7.6

Avon and Somerset³ 151,072 131,955 150,089 147,104 — 178,991 4.2

Devon and Cornwall 101,326 88,484 110,644 110,361 — 101,425 -20.0

Dorset 48,173 43,903 52,755 52,332 — 54,951 -5.1

Gloucestershire 52,967 44,000 48,206 50,993 — 50,467 -13.0

Wiltshire 35,099 32,984 38,189 38,461 — 38,889 -4.3

South West Region 388,637 341,326 399,883 399,251 — 424,723 -6.7

England 4,687,991 4,259,118 4,847,095 5,045,698 5,045,698 5,285,317 -0.9

¹ 'Old rules' denotes the number of crimes that would have been recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998. 'New rules' denotes crimes recorded using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

² Forces affected by boundary changes on 1 April 2000.

³ These forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) early, as it was officially introduced across England and Wales on 1 April 2002. This may have increased the number of offences recorded for 2001–02.

§ Mr. David Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on crime trends within Gloucestershire. [101177]

§ Mr. Denham
Recorded crime statistics for Gloucestershire Constabulary are given in the table. Figures for the main offence groups for the 12 months to Malch 2002 are shown.

Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002

Offence Group Number of offences recorded Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02 Number offences per 1,000 population

Total offences 50,467 1 89

Violence against the person 4,695 6 8

Sexual offences 267 23 0.5

Robbery 498 37 1

Total violent crime 5,460 4 10

578W

Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002

Offence Gropu Number of offences recorded Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02 Number offences per 1,000 population

Burglary 8,468 8 15

Theft and handling stolen goods 21,868 2 39

Fraud and forgery 3,528 14 6

Criminal damage 9,264 2 16

Drug offences 1,223 5 2

Other offences 656 1 1

§ Mr. Tony Clarke
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the levels of(a) reported crimes and (b) successful prosecutions brought in Northampton were in 2001–02. [100805]
579W

§ Mr. Denham
Recorded crime statistics for Northampton are recorded at Basic Command Unit level (BCD). At BCU level, figures for six key offence groups are collected and published. These offence groups are; violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, domestic burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, and theft from a vehicle. Figures for the 12 months to March 2002 are given in table 1.

Table 1: Recorded crime statistics for Northampton Basic Command Unit ( BCU)

Offence group Number of offences recorded 2001–02

Violence against the person 2,307

Sexual offences 155

Robbery 465

Domestic burglary 1,742

Theft of a motor vehicle 1,486

Theft from a vehicle 3,155

Table 2 includes figures on the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty by Northampton magistrates' court and those found guilty at the Crown Court if committed by Northampton magistrates' court, for 2001.
Court proceedings data is collected and published on a calendar year basis.

Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at Northampton magistrates' court for various recordable offences and the number found guilty including those found guilty at the Crown Court where Northampton magistrates' court was the committing court, 2001¹

Recordable offence(s) Proceeded against Found guilty

Violence against the person 798 449

Sexual offences 47 37

Robbery 48 37

Domestic burglary 79 60

Theft of a motor vehicle 48 8

Theft from a motor vehicle 54 35

All recordable offences 2,677 1,699

¹ These data are on the principal offence basis.

Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997–England
		April 1996 To March 1999	April 1999 to March 2000
Police force are	April 1996 to March 1997	Old rules¹	New rule¹	Old boundaries	New boundaries	April 2001 to March 2002	Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)³
Yorkshire and the Humber Region	582,255	538,527	592,868	566,933	—	610,223	-4.8
Derbyshire	77,320	74,047	84,459	85,650	—	89,841	1.9
Leicestershire	89,881	81,714	93,397	94,577	—	88,535	-13.8
Lincolnshire	47,698	39,718	46,670	46,170	—	49,797	-11.2
Northamptonshire	55,003	55,842	65,466	61,240	—	60,485	-6.2
Nottinghamshire	140,088	123,680	135,255	136,875	—	159,240	3.9
East Midlands Region	409,990	375,001	425,247	424,512	—	447,898	3.7
Staffordshire³	92,686	84,495	91,919	98,852	—	117,274	16.3
Warwickshire³	38,229	35,659	38,485	38,593	—	42,211	2.3
West Mercia³	82,080	69,451	81,782	84,797	—	102,149	5.7
West Midlands³	305,818	276,512	314,628	364,887	—	372,257	7.0
West Midlands Region	518,813	466,117	526,814	587,129	—	633,891	8.1
Bedfordshire	50,969	43,947	49,076	53,607	—	52,239	-8.2
Cambridgeshire	67,396	59,678	67,256	68,722	—	69,559	-8.4
Essex²	99,041	87,147	95,797	102,777	108,305	113,150	-1.4
Hertfordshire²	52,454	46,255	49,309	52,741	65,015	67.437	-2.2
Norfolk	55,988	51,167	57,129	59,387	—	58,954	-5.7
Suffolk³	37,496	34,280	39,908	43,355	—	50,492	15.7
East of England Region	363,344	322,474	358,475	380,589	398,391	411,831	-2.6
London, City of	4,754	6,035	7,144	7,775	—	10,098	79.4
Metropolitan Police²	844,306	767,880	934,254	1,052,047	1,016,742	1,057,360	6.5
London Region	849,060	773,915	941,398	1,059,822	1,024,517	1,067,458	6.9
Hampshire	133,529	115,008	128,253	135,174	—	135,961	-8.7
Kent³	141,781	110,244	129,340	124,918	—	120,155	-27.8
Surrey²	41,517	36,376	42,467	46,288	63,791	61,970	-7.2
Sussex	118,339	111,468	130,402	136,566	—	135,110	-2.4
Thames Valley	168,386	161,646	176,477	191,875	—	196,980	7.2
South East Region	603,552	534,742	606,939	634,821	652,324	650,176	-7.6
Avon and Somerset³	151,072	131,955	150,089	147,104	—	178,991	4.2
Devon and Cornwall	101,326	88,484	110,644	110,361	—	101,425	-20.0
Dorset	48,173	43,903	52,755	52,332	—	54,951	-5.1
Gloucestershire	52,967	44,000	48,206	50,993	—	50,467	-13.0
Wiltshire	35,099	32,984	38,189	38,461	—	38,889	-4.3
South West Region	388,637	341,326	399,883	399,251	—	424,723	-6.7
England	4,687,991	4,259,118	4,847,095	5,045,698	5,045,698	5,285,317	-0.9
¹ 'Old rules' denotes the number of crimes that would have been recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998. 'New rules' denotes crimes recorded using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
² Forces affected by boundary changes on 1 April 2000.
³ These forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) early, as it was officially introduced across England and Wales on 1 April 2002. This may have increased the number of offences recorded for 2001–02.

Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002
Offence Group	Number of offences recorded	Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02	Number offences per 1,000 population
Total offences	50,467	1	89
Violence against the person	4,695	6	8
Sexual offences	267	23	0.5
Robbery	498	37	1
Total violent crime	5,460	4	10

Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002
Offence Gropu	Number of offences recorded	Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02	Number offences per 1,000 population
Burglary	8,468	8	15
Theft and handling stolen goods	21,868	2	39
Fraud and forgery	3,528	14	6
Criminal damage	9,264	2	16
Drug offences	1,223	5	2
Other offences	656	1	1

Table 1: Recorded crime statistics for Northampton Basic Command Unit ( BCU)
Offence group	Number of offences recorded 2001–02
Violence against the person	2,307
Sexual offences	155
Robbery	465
Domestic burglary	1,742
Theft of a motor vehicle	1,486
Theft from a vehicle	3,155

Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at Northampton magistrates' court for various recordable offences and the number found guilty including those found guilty at the Crown Court where Northampton magistrates' court was the committing court, 2001¹
Recordable offence(s)	Proceeded against	Found guilty
Violence against the person	798	449
Sexual offences	47	37
Robbery	48	37
Domestic burglary	79	60
Theft of a motor vehicle	48	8
Theft from a motor vehicle	54	35
All recordable offences	2,677	1,699
¹ These data are on the principal offence basis.