Spinning crime figures to suit

ARUN councillor Roger Elkins states (Gazette letters, February 18) that Home Office crime figures are unreliable and should not be used to evaluate any increase in violent crime in Arun.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Feb 2010, 14:12 BST
Updated 25th Feb 2010, 14:12 BST

Sussex Police provides its own statistics, which show that over the three-month period from October to December, 2009, there was an increase of 21 per cent in the number of violent crimes reported to police in the Arun district, compared with the same period 12 months previously.

He refers to the British Crime Survey, which is universally accepted as being more accurate than Home Office statistics.

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However, although Mr Elkins claims a reduction in violent crime during the last decade, the latest report determines that from 2007/2008 to 2008/2009 violent crime remained level except for theft from the person, which increased by 25 per cent.

Interestingly, theft from the person generally used to be classified as robbery and was included in the total violent crime figures.

So what figures should we use? Or do we just have to accept more political spin and take his word?

Mike Dunne

Maltravers Drive,

Littlehampton

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