British Crime Survey suggests rise in most crimes

Levels of crime in England and Wales rose by 4% in the year to September, suggests the British Crime Survey. But researchers said the increase seen in the survey - which measures people's experiences of crime - was not "statistically significant". Crimes recorded by police fell by 4% during the same period, though there was a 10% rise in robbery offences involving a knife. The overall impact of the August riots was small, researchers say. Crime in England and Wales is measured in two ways - the number of offences reported to and recorded by the police, and a rolling questionnaire of wider experiences, called the British Crime Survey (BCS). The BCS found all categories of crime went up, except for vandalism and bicycle theft. The latest BCS figures showed a significant rise in the number of people who say police and councils are doing a good job dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour - up to 57% of all those questioned, from just over half a year ago. Chief Constable Jon Murphy, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, said the latest crime statistics showed the "continuing efforts to reduce crime, protect the public from harm and improve public confidence in policing". "The British Crime Survey shows crime levels remain steady and the service is encouraged by a continued increase in those people who believe the police in their local area are doing a good or excellent job," he added.