CHRIS TILBURY
Whatever is really happening on our streets, if you take your cue from the red tops you’ll always be scared to go outside. The media’s fixation on the bad news on crime is natural—a dangerous man on the loose is bound to be a talking point, in a way that statistics about crimes not committed never will.
Recently, however, it has started to seem like the fear-mongers have a point. The much-publicised ramping up of knife crime to a record high is, on a first glance at the official figures, at the crest of a horrible wave. Overall, recorded crime has risen 7 per cent in the last year—up to almost 5.75m off ences. And violent crimes have seen the starkest increase, up 19 per cent overall, with homicide rising by 14 per cent.