Crime and Justice in the United States and in England and Wales, 1981-96

摘要

Whether measured by surveys of crime victims or by police statistics, serious crime rates are not generally higher in the United States than England. According to 1995 victim surveys--which measure robbery, assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft--crime rates are all higher in England than the United States. According to latest (1996) police statistics--which measure incidents reported to police of murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft--crime rates are higher in England for three crimes: assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. The 1996 crime rate for a fourth crime (robbery) would have been higher in England than the United States had English police recorded the same fraction of robberies that came to their attention as American police.