UK crime rates fall faster than rest of Europe

A study by researchers at the Institute for Economics and Peace found crime rates fell more rapidly in the UK in the past decade than most other countries in Western Europe.

Murder rates in the UK have halved since 2003, from 1.99 per 100,000 people to one per 100,000, with the violent crime rate falling from 1,255 to 933 per 100,000 people.

Broadland, in Norfolk, was the most peaceful area at local authority level, followed by Three Rivers in Hertfordshire, South Cambridgeshire, East Dorset and Maldon in Essex.

Inner London boroughs were the least peaceful, headed by Lewisham and followed by Lambeth, Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets, according to the UK Peace Index report.

In 2012, Yorkshire and the Humber was ranked the sixth most peaceful region out of 12 in the country. Of the 10 police forces covering major urban areas in the report, West Yorkshire was judged to be the fourth most peaceful, with South Yorkshire second.

But West Yorkshire’s homicide rate of 2.07 per 100,000 people last year was the second highest of the 10 areas, lower only than Strathclyde, which covers Glasgow.

The report, which defines peace as the absence of violence or fear of violence, said most local authority areas had become more peaceful since 2003.

“Both crime and homicide have fallen significantly. The fall over the last decade has resulted in the UK homicide rate now being roughly equivalent to that of the Western European average, and it is now at its lowest level since 1978. However, the UK violent crime rate is significantly higher than the EU average.

“Despite the global financial crisis, violence has continued to decline in both the UK and Europe, even during the on-going recession.

“In the UK, the only major offence category to substantially increase over the 10-year period was drug offences. All other categories of crime, including burglary and fraud, have fallen.”

It said, however, that public perceptions of the threat of violence are inflated, with 17 per cent of Britons thinking they will be a victim of violent crime, while less than 4 per cent will actually experience violent crime.

The downward trend in violence could be explained by a range of factors including changes in police practices and technological improvements, an ageing population, a fall in alcohol consumption and the introduction of the minimum wage, the report suggests.

Chief Constable Dave Whatton, the Association of Chief Police Officers lead on violence and public protection, said: “The peace index shows that the UK has become more peaceful since 2003 with crime and homicides falling significantly. While this reflects trends in other countries and a range of factors are likely to have effected this reduction in violence, it demonstrates a continuous drive by the British police service to robustly tackle crime.”

The authors estimated that violence cost the UK £124bn last year, equivalent to £4,700 per household or 7.7 per cent of GDP.