A report examined whether the nature of the first crime for which someone was convicted was a prediction of future offending. The study analysed data from the police national computer on crimes committed in England and Wales since 2001. The report said that offenders who committed robbery, burglary or vehicle theft as a 'debut offence' were most likely to become chronic offenders. It noted the implication for future rehabilitation work.
Source: Natalie Owen and Christine Cooper, The Start of a Criminal Career: Does the type of debut offence predict future offending?, Research Report 77, Home Office
Date: 2013-Nov
A government report examined the criminal careers of offenders involved in organized crime, looking at the characteristics, criminal histories and the offence trajectories for organized crime offenders, and the offence-based risk factors for subsequent involvement in organized crime.
Source: Brian Francis, Leslie Humphreys, Stuart Kirby, and Keith Soothill, Understanding Criminal Careers in Organised Crime, Research Report 74, Home Office
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on E-crime.
Source: E-crime, Cm 8734, Home Office, TSO
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2013-Oct
A government report reviewed the published evidence on the scale and nature of cyber crime.
Source: Mike McGuire and Samantha Dowling, Cyber Crime: A review of the evidence, Research Report 75, Home Office
Links: Report Ch 1 | Report Ch 2 | Report Ch 3 | Report Ch 4 | Summary
Date: 2013-Oct
The Home Office published a report on the scale and cost of organized crime.
Source: Hannah Mills, Sara Skodbo, and Peter Blyth, Understanding Organised Crime: Estimating the scale and the social and economic costs, Research Report 73, Home Office
Links: Report | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-Oct
A survey examined public perceptions of organized crime in Scotland. 10 per cent of respondents said that they had been personally affected by organized crime in the previous three years.
Source: Ipsos MORI Scotland, Public Perceptions of Organised Crime in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Sep
A paper examined the link between crime and immigration, presenting new evidence from England and Wales in the 2000s. No evidence was found of a causal relationship between immigration and criminal behaviour.
Source: Laura Jaitman and Stephen Machin, Crime and Immigration: New evidence from England and Wales, DP1238, Centre for Economic Performance (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2013-Sep
A paper examined the relationship between violent crime in England and individuals' participation in their local area through walking and physical activity. There was a substantive deterrent effect of local area violent crime on walking, pointing to important effects of violent crime on non-victims. The adverse effect of an increase in local area violent crime from the 25th to the 75th percentile on walking was equivalent in size to a fall in the average minimum temperature of 6 degrees centigrade.
Source: Katharina Janke, Carol Propper, and Michael Shields, Does Violent Crime Deter Physical Activity?, Working Paper 13/312, Centre for Market and Public Organisation (University of Bristol)
Links: Paper | Bristol University press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-Sep
An article said that there was 'very little' empirical evidence that social disorganization was positively associated with crime rates in rural areas.
Source: Maria Kaylen and William Alex Pridemore, 'Social disorganization and crime in rural communities: the first direct test of the systemic model', British Journal of Criminology, Volume 53 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Aug
An article examined the extent and nature of violent gang activity in three areas with a predominantly Asian population. It highlighted the problematic way in which the term 'gang' was being used. The uncritical acceptance of the term into policy and policing practices, and the policy transfer that had ensued, had the potential to further marginalize and isolate some minority-ethnic communities.
Source: Hannah Smithson, Rob Ralphs, and Patrick Williams, 'Used and abused: the problematic usage of gang terminology in the United Kingdom and its implications for ethnic minority youth', British Journal of Criminology, Volume 53 Number 1
Links: Abstract | MMU press release
Date: 2013-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government needed to do more to counter internet-based crime. Offences ranged from attacks on computer networks to the use of cyberspace to facilitate traditional crimes such as forgery, sabotage, drug smuggling, and people trafficking.
Source: E-crime, Fifth Report (Session 2013-14), HC 70, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Additional written evidence | Committee press release | ACPO press release | BBA press release | Bedfordshire University press release | CBI press release | Police Federation press release | Victim Support press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-Jul
An article examined various determinants of property and violent crimes by using police force area-level data for England and Wales over the period 1992-2008. A higher detection rate and a higher prison population led to lower property and violent crimes. Socio-economic variables, with the exception of real earnings, played a limited role in explaining different crime types.
Source: Lu Han, Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, and Samrat Bhattacharya, 'Determinants of violent and property crimes in England and Wales: a panel data analysis', Applied Economics, Volume 45 Issue 34
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Jun
An article examined and synthesized qualitative evidence on fear of crime and the environment. Several factors in the physical environment were perceived to have an impact on fear of crime, including visibility and signs of neglect. However, factors in the local social environment appeared to be more important as drivers of fear of crime, including social networks and familiarity. Broader social factors appeared to be of limited relevance. There was considerable evidence for limitations on physical activity as a result of fear of crime: but less for mental health impacts.
Source: Theo Lorenc, Mark Petticrew, Margaret Whitehead, David Neary, Stephen Clayton, Kath Wright, Hilary Thomson, Steven Cummins, Amanda Sowden, and Adrian Renton, 'Fear of crime and the environment: systematic review of UK qualitative evidence', BMC Public Health, Volume 13
Date: 2013-May
A new book examined issues linked to participation in crime.
Source: Alan Reed (ed.), Participation in Crime: Domestic and comparative perspectives, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-May
A think-tank report examined levels of peacefulness in the United Kingdom from 2003 to 2012. It also provided an analysis of the socio-economic factors that were associated with peace, and estimated the economic cost of violence. The UK had become more peaceful since 2003, with 278 out of 343 local authority areas more peaceful than they had been. The incidence of both crime and murder had fallen significantly. The murder rate had fallen to roughly that of the western European average, and was at its lowest level since 1978.
Source: UK Peace Index: Exploring the fabric of peace in the UK from 2003 to 2012, Institute for Economics and Peace
Links: Report | IEP press release | ACPO press release | BBC report | Daily Mail report | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-Apr
A new book examined the history and policing of organized crime. It highlighted how the interlocking processes of de-industrialization, globalization, and neo-liberalism had normalized activity that had previously been the exclusive domain of professional criminals.
Source: Dick Hobbs, Lush Life: Constructing organized crime in the UK, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Feb
An article examined whether differing understandings of local inequality and in the ways in which it was measured affected the relationships between inequality and crime.
Source: Adam Whitworth, 'Local inequality and crime: exploring how variation in the scale of inequality measures affects relationships between inequality and crime', Urban Studies, Volume 50 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Feb