Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet has welcomed news that crime has fallen by more than a quarter (27%) in England and Wales since 2010, to its lowest level on record. This is shown by the latest figure from the independent Office for National Statistics. In the London area, crime has come down by 15% since 2010.
Commenting, Theresa Villiers said: “I welcome another fall in crime across the country and in London, as shown by the Independent Crime Survey of England and Wales. Since the Conservatives were elected to government in 2010, we have been following an action plan to tackle crime and make Britain a safer place. That plan has been working, delivering a significant reduction in crime.”
“I will continue to support efforts to tackle crime in Barnet by working with our local police and with the Mayor on practical measures to reduce the risk that my constituents fall victim to burglary and other crimes.”
Key elements of the Government’s action plan on crime include:
- Cutting red tape for police and scrapping unnecessary targets;
- Giving criminals tougher sentences so communities are protected and justice is done;
- Giving the police the powers they need to tackle criminals, using the latest tools and techniques;
- Tackling the root causes of crime, for example by improving prison rehabilitation programmes;
- Vigilance on the continuing threat from terrorism.
Crime measured by the independent Crime Survey has fallen by 27 per cent since 2010. In the year to March 2015, there were 6.8 million crimes, 2.5 million fewer than the 9.3 million in the year to June 2010 (ONS, Crime in England and Wales, period ending March 2015, 16 July 2015, link).
The percentage change in recorded crime (excluding fraud) since June 2010 in the London area is 17%. Since the year ending September 2013 figures, ONS have published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excludes fraud. Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences from forces to Action Fraud, the 15% figure excludes fraud offences(ONS, Crime in England and Wales, period ending March 2015, 16 July 2015, link; ONS, Recorded crime by police force area, English region and Wales, 12 months to June 2010, link).