Governments have 'overstated reductions in crime' due to out of date recording methods

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Falls in crime have been dramatically overstated by successive governments because antiquated recording methods have given murders equal weight to shoplifting, according to a new study published today. The academics said that the current state of crime recording was a “paper-and-pencil legacy of the 19th century”, which led to forces focusing on so-called “volume crimes” like theft and burglary rather than tackling the most serious offences, according to the study published today in the academic journal Policing. Changes in recording crimes would probably prompt police forces to focus on high-harm offences, said the Cambridge Institute of Criminology director, Professor Lawrence Sherman, who led the study. “If shoplifting drops while murder triples, crime is reported as ‘down’ – yet any common-sense view of public safety cries out for some adjustment for seriousness.” Measuring instead by the number of days in prison each crime could attract ensures that police, policy makers and the public are better informed on rates and trends of crime, the risks posed and resources required.