The two main sources of crime data routinely used by government, the media and researchers are the Crime Survey for England and Wales and police recorded crime. Here’s a quick guide…..
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (formerly called the British Crime Survey) is a face to face interview with thousands of people each year, who are asked about their experiences of crime over the previous 12 months. It covers both adults and children living in households, but excludes people living in group residences such as care homes and prisons. It’s an important source of information as it includes crimes not reported to the police, and isn’t affected by changes to police crime recording.
Police recorded crime data is supplied by police forces to the Home Office. It covers a broader set of offences than those recorded by the Crime Survey for England and Wales, from murder to minor criminal damage, theft and public order offences. It also covers victims (for example tourists) and sectors (such as companies), which are excluded from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Recorded crime figures are also an important indicator of police workload, and provide a good measure of trends in well-reported crimes.
Taken together, these data sources are used to produce a picture of crime across the country, and a report combining them is published by the Office of National Statistics several times each year called ‘Crime in England and Wales’.
Norfolk & Suffolk Criminal Justice Board 