Crime in England and Wales, 2009-10

Statistics on police recorded crime and the British Crime Survey include data for England and Wales for the financial year April 2009 to March 2010. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 16 July 2009.

Police recorded crime

• In 2009-10 the total recorded crime rate in Wales (74 offences per 1,000 population) was below the rate for England and Wales as a whole (79 offences per 1,000 population). The recorded crime rates in Wales were the same or lower than the England and Wales rates in all the main offence groups with the exception of criminal damage.
• The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Wales fell by 6 per cent in 2009-10.
• There were reductions across all the main offence groups compared with 2008-09. The number of offences against vehicles fell by 16 per cent and criminal damage fell by 13 per cent, while violence against the person and burglary both decreased by 2 per cent.
• Total recorded crime decreased by 12 per cent between 2008-09 and 2009-10 in South Wales, by 7 per cent in Dyfed-Powys South Wales and by 3 per cent in North Wales. Gwent saw a 3 per cent increase over the same period.
• Wales’ sanction detection rate in 2009-10 was 33 per cent, 5 percentage points higher than England and Wales as a whole and higher than eight of the nine English Government Office Regions.
• 3 per cent of selected serious offences(1) recorded by the police involved a knife or other sharp instrument in Wales, lower than 6 per cent for England and Wales.
• For all offence groups a lower proportion of offences involved a knife in Wales compared with England and Wales.

British Crime Survey

• The risk of victimisation(2) for both personal and household crime was lower in Wales than for England and Wales combined.
• The incidence(3) rate of BCS burglary was lower in Wales compared with the average for England and Wales.

(1) Figures for certain types of offence recorded by police that involve the use of a knife or other sharp instrument have been collected since April 2007. In 2007/08 these offences comprised attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with and without intent, and robbery. The offence coverage was extended from April 2008 to include threats to kill, actual bodily harm, rape and sexual assaults.
(2) The proportion of the population who were victimised once or more.
(3) The incidence rate is the number of crimes experienced per household or adult [see section 2 of the User Guide to Home Office Crime Statistics].

Further information

Home Office website; Crime in England and Wales 2009/2010.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 6699
E-mail: stats.inclusion@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

July 2011 (provisional - to be confirmed on 'Due out Soon' page)