Are They Putting Something In The Water...?

[Gromit]

// Crime rate in England and Wales falls 15% to its lowest level in 33 years
Fall is one of biggest in history of Crime Survey of England and Wales and is driven by a 22% fall in violent crime. //

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/24/crime-rate-england-wales-falls-lowest-level-33-years

What can be the reason for this extraordinary result? Police numbers have been dropping in recent years. Youth unemployment is at a record high. We have just gone through the longest recession in history and more people are on low wages. And yet we have an amazing turnaround in crime. It can only be mass sedation via our taps. What else can it be?

[Old_Geezer]

They have been medicating the water for ages, discussing making all do so, and discussing adding stuff to flour too. Must be a Brave New World I guess.

The actual reason for the crime drop is probably from multiple causes rather than a single one. We can hope it is a cultural change, but lack of cash, removal of lead from petrol, aging population, etc. etc. etc. Take your pick.

[ToraToraTora]

"What can be the reason for this extraordinary result?" - I imagine that they have found a wonderful new way to record crime that makes it look like the figures are improving.

[douglas9401]

I have to agree with three Toras.

[Canary42]

Many modifications have been made to crime figure reporting over this time, so the stats are very suspect.

[SirOracle]

Perhaps the result of JWs relentless knocking on doors,which is now bearing fruit (:- .

[askyourgran]

I think the Police have shredded pages 2-14 by mistake. Or they are massaging the figures to make us think the Police Commissioners are actually working when in fact they are costing us a bomb to keep in office.

[Baldric]

I think AYG ^^ has it sussed!

[paddywak]

They've not dropped,it's just that people have got that used to the police not doing anything that they've stopped reporting things.

[Gromit]

We could improve the crime stats further by introducing fines for people reporting crimes. That would bring down the figures still further.

Is that any different that paying to see your GP?

[Buenchico]

>>>it's just that people have got that used to the police not doing anything

There are two meaures of crime rates. One of them is the number of crimes reported to the police. As Paddyway points out, those figures could be affected by apathy in reporting crime. However the other measure, the Crime Survey for England and Wales, based upon surveys of the public carried out by the Office for National Statistics, is carefully designed to measure the true rate of crime:
http://www.crimesurvey.co.uk/
BOTH measures continue to show a year-by-year decrease in crime.

[DaisyNonna]

Failure to log reported crimes.

[VHG]

People don't bother to report many crimes as they know there is no hope in hell of them getting solved.

Hence as far as the police are concerned crime is dropping.

They are just massaging the figures.

[naomi24]

//I imagine that they have found a wonderful new way to record crime that makes it look like the figures are improving. //

It's nothing new. It's been happening for years - and not only in that area.

[weecalf]

Maybe parliament is in recess is the reason

[dannyk13]

If it's not detected or reported it isn't recorded. Nuff said.

[atalanta]

Yes, "they" are putting something in the water. By "they" I mean women who are on the Pill or on HRT. They all wee some female hormones into the water supply, and water-purification does not get them out. Then everyone drinks the hormones, men included. Why else do you think sperm counts have dropped like a stone in the last 50 years ?

[Buenchico]

I despair! Do some people never read the question (or other answers) properly?

The survey that finds that crime is falling has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with crimes reported to the police!!! It's an entirely independent survey, carried out on behalf of the Government by the Office of National Statistics. Interviewers go into the homes of tens of thousands of people and carry out extremely detailed interviews with adults and young people (from the age of 10 years upwards). The whole point of the survey is to find the TRUE rate of crime, irrespective of whether crimes are actually reported to the police or not

The survey has consistently shown that crime is falling in this country, as it is in almost every other country in the world. Much of that can almost certainly be attributed to the removal of lead from petrol but there are clearly other factors (such as a reduction in binge drinking) in play in the UK as well.

[factor-fiction]

I agree with Buenchico, although it seems to me that some of the reductions in numbers of crimes such as burglaries, assaults etc has been replaced by crimes such as computer fraud, identity theft and tax/benefit fraud

[gingejbee]

atalanta's comment is only relevant for those people who have river-derived water supply and only if that river also accepts treated effluent from sewage works.

[atalanta]

If the majority of men are Not drinking water ( that includes beer) full of female hormones, then what is causing the drop in the averagre sperm count which has been happening over the last few decades. Remember when the Pill came in ? Wasn't it about the 1960s, as I seem to recall ?