Posted on 12/01/2002 8:47:38 AM PST by ElkGroveDan
England and Wales have the highest crime rate among the world's leading economies, according to a new report by the United Nations.
The survey, which is likely to prove embarrassing to David Blunkett, the Home Secretary. shows that people are more likely to be mugged, burgled, robbed or assaulted here than in America, Germany, Russia, South Africa or any other of the world's 20 largest nations. Only the Dominican Republic, New Zealand and Finland have higher crime rates than England and Wales.
According to the comparison of international crime statistics produced by the UN's Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, England and Wales had 9,766 crimes for every 100,000 people in the year 2000. America had 8,517, South Africa 7,997, Germany 7,621 and Russia 2,022.
During the period 1998-2000, Britain went from fifth to fourth worst in the world league table. An analysis of total recorded crime figures before 1998 also suggests that England and Wales have moved sharply up the league table since Labour came to power in 1997. Crimes fell from 5.5 million in 1993 to 4.5 million in 1997. By 1999, total crimes had risen again to 5.3 million.
Last night Oliver Letwin, the shadow home secretary, said: "This does rather blow a hole in David Blunkett's claim that New Labour has crime under control. It is a damning picture."
The UN reports also shows that England and Wales are the second-worst places in the world for assaults, with 851 people assaulted per 100,000, and seventh for burglaries and car theft, with 1,579 burglaries per 100,000 population.
Criminologists believe that a note of caution needs to be introduced into analysis of the data, because of the different ways in which UN member countries record crimes.
A Home Office spokesman said that officials had not yet seen the report and so could not comment.
I thought you might find this reference interesting.
I never thought I'd see the day when most of a FR thread was ANTI-GUN
I am planning a trip to the U.K. this fall. As soon as I land in London I plan to head North as quickly as possible to escape what you have described. I've always believed that the real England is in the villages and smaller towns. Hope the rot of group think has not reached Norfolk but I fear I may return with the same impression. I lived there from 92-95 and have only been back once about seven years ago. I'm hoping that at least my old pub has not changed and the beer is still good.
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Sept. 30 — In the biggest surrender of private property in Britain since the late Middle Ages, Britons today handed over thousands of handguns in the hours before a new firearms bill took effect at midnight.
Sounds like a plan. We had a wonderful time once we left London. We headed to Bath and then spent a week in the Cottswold (sp?). No shortage of beer, not to mention cheese!
I chat with many in the UK on a travel site...they have all informed me that to fly the union jack flag outside their homes is considered very racist....go figure....this floors me...now i know why they think americans are so brainwashed, i can't relate to them at all.....but i will stress, not all of them think this way....most vent their true feelings in the pub when they let their hair down, so they say.....what we call liberals, they call do-gooders. The political correctness over there must be quite oppressive.
i think that is why the pub is so integral to their way of life...it gives them a place to blow off a little steam and cope with all this.
One more thing...they say the latest thing the hooligans do is light cars on fire....i mean can you imagine worrying about your car burning in your driveway when you go to sleep at night?
ping me also...thanks
why would you call a gay guy a cigarette? ;)
I think a lot of the higher crime rate is attributable to immigrants. England has had a lot of trouble with Jamaican Drug gangs ( the "Yardies" ). Let's not forget the massive Muslim immigration as well.
My first visit to the U.K. was spent in the Cotswold (RAF Fairford) thanks to Desert Storm. The locals were very supportive of us even though we invaded the local pub nightly (The Bull). We plan to go back there for a few days if we make it over in the fall. I like the weather in the fall and tourisits have pretty much cleared out by then.
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