This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7843858.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Miscounting police forces named Miscounting police forces named
(about 4 hours later)
The 18 police forces that undercounted some of the most serious violent crimes have all been named by the Home Office.The 18 police forces that undercounted some of the most serious violent crimes have all been named by the Home Office.
The Metropolitan Police and the forces in North Wales and Lancashire are among those on the list, obtained by the BBC under a Freedom of Information request.The Metropolitan Police and the forces in North Wales and Lancashire are among those on the list, obtained by the BBC under a Freedom of Information request.
They had been downgrading crimes where there was an intention to cause serious injury but no such injury resulted.They had been downgrading crimes where there was an intention to cause serious injury but no such injury resulted.
Their identification comes as the latest crime figures for England and Wales are due to be published.Their identification comes as the latest crime figures for England and Wales are due to be published.
The category of "most serious violence" will be excluded from the new figures because of continuing concern over its accuracy.
Misinterpreting guidanceMisinterpreting guidance
The category of "most serious violence" will be excluded from the new figures because of continuing concern over its accuracy.
While a few of the police forces involved in the mistake were named at the time, ministers refused to identify all 18.While a few of the police forces involved in the mistake were named at the time, ministers refused to identify all 18.
They have now been revealed as the Metropolitan Police in London and the police forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Kent, Lancashire, Norfolk, North Wales, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk and Thames Valley.They have now been revealed as the Metropolitan Police in London and the police forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Kent, Lancashire, Norfolk, North Wales, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk and Thames Valley.
Our fundamental point is that we do want as accurate data as we can get Chief Constable Ian Johnston
The undercounting came to light in October when the quarterly crime figures for the 43 forces in England and Wales were published.The undercounting came to light in October when the quarterly crime figures for the 43 forces in England and Wales were published.
It emerged some police forces had been misinterpreting official guidance on the way they should record certain offences.It emerged some police forces had been misinterpreting official guidance on the way they should record certain offences.
It meant the figures for serious violent crimes rose by 22% compared to the previous year - rather than showing a fall as the initial statistics appeared to indicate.It meant the figures for serious violent crimes rose by 22% compared to the previous year - rather than showing a fall as the initial statistics appeared to indicate.
The government admitted it did not know how long the undercounting had been going on. Dr Marian FitzGerald, a criminologist at the University of Kent, told the BBC there had been some confusion over how to collate crime data for a number of years.
But she said: "The government itself had been in serious denial for a very long time about the fact the underlying level of serious violent crime in this country had been going up steadily but increasingly since the early 90s".
'Reading tea leaves'
The result, she said, has made interpreting crime figures like "trying to read tea leaves".
British Transport Police Chief Constable Ian Johnston told the BBC accurate crime figures were essential both for effective police work and public confidence.
He also emphasised that the "most serious violent crime" was still only a tiny fraction of all violent crime.
"Our fundamental point is that we do want as accurate data as we can get," he said.
The government has admitted it did not know how long the undercounting had been going on.
Violent crime is one the public's biggest worries and one of the government's major priorities, and the under-recording was a major embarrassment to Labour.Violent crime is one the public's biggest worries and one of the government's major priorities, and the under-recording was a major embarrassment to Labour.
Ministers said the overall amount of violent crime had not been affected and the revised figures showed overall crime and overall violent crime remained down on the previous year.Ministers said the overall amount of violent crime had not been affected and the revised figures showed overall crime and overall violent crime remained down on the previous year.