Survey shows that more victims of sexual offences have confidence to report to police

National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Crime Recording and Statistics, Chief Constable Jeff Farrar said:

“Today’s Crime Survey of England and Wales shows that the vast majority of recorded crimes are continuing to decrease year on year to their lowest rate since the survey began in 1981. I am particularly pleased that the total number of crimes people are experiencing and the number of those crimes that are then reported to police are closer than ever. This is extremely positive for the police and the public as it means the actions of more criminals are being brought to our attention, investigated and dealt with appropriately.”

“The substantial rise in reports to police of sexual offences shown in today’s survey is testament to the hard work of the police service in recent years to improve our recording of these offences. It also shows that more victims have greater confidence to report these crimes, past and present, to the police in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and their complaint will be fully investigated.”

“The recorded crimes captured by this survey only form a part of the demand on the police service. A huge amount of work goes into areas such as complex public protection issues, cyber-crime and counter terrorism - where the offences and their outcomes are not so easily recorded. Chief constables across the country are looking at ways to ensure that we can continue to meet the ever-changing demand that the service faces.”

The full report from ONS can be viewed here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/year-ending-december-2014/index.html