Recession helps boost theft crime figures

An unexpected 25 per cent increase in personal thefts and a 4 per cent rise in domestic burglaries in the official quarterly crime figures published this week confirmed predictions that the recession and rising joblessness will fuel a rise in property crime.



The 4 per cent increase in break-ins for the second successive quarter, spanning last summer and winter, marks the end of a sustained 55 per cent fall in burglaries in England and Wales since the mid-1990s.

Overall, police-recorded crime figures for October to December 2008 published yesterday show that the crime rate fell by 4 per cent. The separate British Crime Survey, which interviews 40,000 victims of crime, also reported that the rate remained broadly stable during 2008, compared with the previous year.

Belonging to a local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme is one of the most effective ways in preventing becoming a victim of crime.