Crime in Britain

Crime has increased in Britain, as in many countries, since the early 1950s, though recently the number of crimes
reported to the police has fallen. In 1996 there were 9 700 crimes for ever)' 100 000 people, of which the police solved
27%. Over 60 000 people arc in prison for crimes they have committed.

People living in inner city and urban areas are the ones most likely to be victims of crime. Burglary is twice as likely there
as elsewhere. Theft (* stealing goods or property) is the commonest crime, though it fell by 14% in the period 1992-5.
Car theft is relatively common: in 1995 almost one in five car owners had their car stolen, or had property stolen from
inside it. Criminal damage or vandalism is an increasing problem. Offences that involve loss or damage to property
account for 92% of all crime.

The number of violent crimes is increasing, Murders and different types of assault (= violent attack) are usually' widely
reported by the media. The number of rape eases reported to the police went up by 50% between 1988 and 1992.
Robbery and mugging also increased significantly. Racially-motivated attacks and crimes against children, especially
sexual abuse and paedophilia (sexual acts on children), arouse public anger and concern about moral standards.

In 1995 guns were used in 13 000- crimes in England and Wales. The killing of a class of schoolchildren at Dunblane,
Scotland in 1996 greatly increased public feeling against people being allowed to own guns and resulted in two Acts of
Parliament banning public ownership of handguns. Since 1996 there have also been restrictions on the manufacture of
sonic types of knives. It is now illegal to sell sharp-bladed knives to people under 16.

Crime in the US
The US has a reputation for having a lot of crime, especially violent crime. For every 100 000 people, there were 597
violent crimes in 1980 rising to 746 in 1994, nine of which were murders. Larceny is also common. Many people believe
that the increase in crime is linked to the use of drugs. Guns are easy to buy in the US and arc often used in crime. A
new crime that began in the 1990s is carjacking: criminals with guns enter cars that have stopped at traffic lights and
make the driver leave the car, or drive to a place where there are not many people around. They take the car, and any
money or jewellery, but usually leave the driver unharmed.

Crime is worse in cities, especially in the inner cities where poorer people live. African Americans are more likely to be
victims of violent crime than whites.

Crime prevention
Ac a local level, many British people have joined Neighborhood Watch schemes, which encourage people to report
anything suspicious happening near their houses. There are more policemen on the beat (=walking round an area, not
driving in cars) to prevent trouble. Community policemen go into schools to talk to children and teenagers to try to stop
them from taking part in crime. In 1995, almost four out often offenders were aged 14-20.Young people are responsible
for a lot of petty crime such as shoplifting (= stealing from shops) as well as more serious crimes such as arson, drug-
dealing and joyriding (* stealing a car and driving it round the town very fast).

Closed-circuit television (= video cameras linked to special television screens in police stations) has been installed in
many city centers to deter violence and prevent crimes such as ram-raiding (= driving a stolen car through a shop
window and stealing the goods inside). Some people think that, because video cameras record the activities of innocent
people as well as criminals, they are a threat to personal freedom. Nationally, there are repeated calls for harsher
penalties and, sometimes, for the return of capital punishment to deter criminals.

Fear and fascination

Fear of becoming a victim of crime has increased, and people are particularly afraid of being burgled. Some people,
especially women and old people, arc scared to go out alone in the evening for fear of rape or mugging. In some areas,
parents do not allow their children to walk to school alone in ease they are attacked or abducted. Many people now
hesitate to go and help someone being attacked in ease they are attacked themselves, but those who do go to help are
seen as heroes. Despite this fear, many people enjoy stories about real and imagined crimes, especially murder. One of
the most popular programmes on British television is Crime watch, which asks the public for their help in solving real crimes.
Other favorite television programmes include films of the Inspector Morse stories and novels by Agatha Christie. From time to
time there is anxiety about the amount of violence shown on television and fear that it influences people’s behavior in
real life.