News story
1st Feburary 2001
Rise in Violent Crime
Northavon MP Steve Webb has challenged Home Office
ministers in the House of Commons following the
publication of statistics showing that violent crime was
continuing to rise sharply in the Avon & Somerset
area. A Parliamentary written answer showed that between
1979 and 1997, the total number of violent crimes in Avon
& Somerset had risen more than fourfold, from 2,661
to 12,176. More recently, the total had continued to rise
with the figure (now calculated on a slightly different
basis) increasing from just under 15,000 violent crimes
in 1998-99 to just over 16,000 crimes in 1999-2000, the
most recent year for which figures are available.
During a debate on Wednesday (31st January) on Police
funding for the coming year, Steve Webb intervened on
Home Office minister Charles Clarke to ask if he felt
that the level of funding planned would be adequate to
bring about a reversal in the rise in violent crime. The
minister said in reply that the fight against violent
crime was about more than police numbers and that the
Government had other strategies which he hoped would
tackle the problem.
Commenting after the debate, Steve Webb said:
“Whilst I welcome the fact that total recorded crime
in the Avon & Somerset area has started to fall, I
remain very concerned by the continued rise in violent
crime. It is shocking that violent crime rose more than
fourfold during the 1980s and early 1990s, and that its
increase has continued in recent years. I firmly believe
that a visible police presence, both in our town centres
and in our villages, is one of the best deterrents to
violent crime. It is vital therefore that we get police
numbers up as a matter of urgency”.
** ENDS **
Note to editors: A parliamentary written answer from
Charles Clarke gave the following figures for recorded
violent crime in Avon and Somerset:
1979: 2,661 1987: 4766 1992: 7,057 1997 12,176 1997-98
13,219
The method of counting was then changed, but the
following two figures are on a consistent basis with each
other:
1998-99: 14,985 1999-2000: 16,061
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