Crime is falling—but the public doesn't feel safer, UK study finds
Crime levels are falling for most offenses across the UK—but the public doesn't necessarily feel safer. It's a human trait to focus on frightening information in the news or on social media—but it could also mean that people are more fearful about crime than they need to be.
Crime levels in the UK are decreasing for most offenses, yet public perception suggests otherwise, according to a recent study. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claims that crime has worsened, but his assertion is contradicted by data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Despite a 20% drop in the murder rate since 2010, two-thirds of the public believe that the number of murders has increased or remained the same.
Similarly, 8 in 10 people wrongly believe that mobile phone thefts, vehicle thefts, and burglary have risen, when in fact, all have decreased by 50% or more. Two-thirds of the public also incorrectly assume that the number of police officers has fallen, while in reality, police numbers have increased by 20% since 2018. These misperceptions are thought to stem from a negativity bias, selective information exposure, media and political messaging, and polarized political identities.
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