Recorded crime level doubles over five years

According to an Office of National Statistics report published today, the recorded crime level in Northern Ireland more than doubled between 1997 (62,222) and 2001/02 (139,786).

The NIO have said that the increased figures were largely due to the adoption of the new Home Office counting rules in April 1998, the recording of crimes that were not previously part of official figures, and a more efficient data collection system.

The breakdown of the crimes figures revealed that in 2001/02, property crime accounted for almost four-fifths (77%) of total recorded crime compared with violent crime which accounted for one fifth (21%).

The number of crimes cleared by the police increased from 19,560 in 1997 to 31,639 in 1998/99. The number of crimes cleared increased by a further 14% to 36,004 in 1999/00, before falling by over a fifth to 28,142 in 2001/02. By 2001/02, the clearance rate in Northern Ireland was 20%, the lowest rate in the past decade.

The report found that in 2001 the total annual average prison population was 910, a fall of 53% since 1993 (1,934). A major reason for this decrease has said to be a reduction in the immediate custody population, down from 1,475 in 1993 to 616 in 2001.

And findings from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey (NICS) found that almost half (49%) of the estimated 262,000 crimes measured by the NICS 2001 were reported to the police.

The report - 'A Commentary on Northern Ireland Crime Statistics 2001' - is a compendium publication of information on crime and criminal justice in Northern Ireland, covering six main areas: recorded crime; offences cleared by the police; court proceedings; sentencing; prison population and receptions; and crime victimisation and fear of crime.

(GMcG)