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/6261973.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Labour crime claims 'misleading' Labour crime claims 'misleading'
(about 5 hours later)
Government claims of successes on law and order since 1997 are "overstated" and "misleading", a study has said. The government has overstated its successes on law and order since 1997, a study has claimed.
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, at London's King's College, said billions spent on reform had not yielded significant improvements. Billions spent on reform has brought no major improvement, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies says.
Spending on law and order had risen dramatically and proportionately now cost more than in the US, it said. The study's authors accused ministers of setting easy targets and taking credit for crime reduction trends unconnected to their policies.
The Home Office said the analysis was wrong and pointed to record numbers of police officers and prison places.The Home Office said the analysis was wrong and pointed to record numbers of police officers and prison places.
Richard Garside, who helped to write the report, said the number of convictions had actually fallen since the late 1990s. In a separate development, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is warning that the police are not getting enough funding from central government.
This report betrays a history of fiddled figures and doubtful claims David DavisShadow home secretary A 3.6% rise in funding is promised this year - but Acpo say they will be getting lower increases over the following three years.
"What we have seen is a massive expansion of non-conviction offences brought to justice," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Hitting targets'
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) report, funded by the Sunday Times and the Hadley Trust, pointed out that the number of convictions had actually fallen since the late 1990s.
Over 250,000 more offences are now brought to justice each year than five years ago Home Office spokeswoman
The report's co-author Richard Garside, of King's College in London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we have seen is a massive expansion of non-conviction offences brought to justice."
These included "things like cautions, penalty notices and other administrative means of hitting targets", he said.These included "things like cautions, penalty notices and other administrative means of hitting targets", he said.
He conceded that there had been a decrease in burglaries and car crime, but said that was more to do with improvements in security systems than government policy. He conceded there were now fewer burglaries and less car crime, but said this was more to do with improvements in security systems than government policy.
Straightforward targets The report found that the government had hit many of its targets - the official crime rate falling by 35% since 1997, and a 15% reduction in crime in the five years to 2007-2008.
The report, sponsored by the Sunday Times and the Hadley Trust, said "on the face of it, Labour's record on crime is very good". This report betrays a history of fiddled figures and doubtful claims David DavisShadow home secretary
It found that the government had hit many of its targets - the official crime rate falling by 35% since 1997, and a 15% reduction in crime in the five years to 2007-2008. But the study said the UK now spent more on law and order than any other country in the EU - as a proportion of its overall spending - yet the number of killings and robberies was still rising.
But the report added: "In reality, [the targets] were relatively straightforward to achieve, having been set on the basis of existing trends continuing regardless of government action." And one of the government's "most conspicuous failures" was on reoffending - with targets being modified, missed or dropped.
It also pointed to a rise in the number of killings and claimed that one of the "most conspicuous failures" was on reoffending - with targets being modified, missed or dropped. "On paper, nearly all the targets have been met," the study said.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said the widespread use of fines and cautions was being used to manipulate the figures. "In reality, Labour's record on its various overall crime reduction targets is at best mixed; at worst, its crime reduction claims are misleading."
"This report betrays a history of fiddled figures and doubtful claims. For example, of the total number of offenders brought to 'justice', convictions have actually fallen from 69% in 2003 to 53% in 2006. 'Good progress'
"The rest have been provided by gimmicks such as fines and increased use of cautions, meaning actual and effective justice is not being delivered." Shadow home secretary David Davis said the report "betrays a history of fiddled figures and doubtful claims".
He said falling conviction rates combined with increases in the use of fines and cautions meant "actual and effective justice is not being delivered".
But the Home Office said it "firmly rejected" the report's claims, saying the governed had made "good progress in building a safer Britain since 1997".
"Over 250,000 more offences are now brought to justice each year than five years ago through a range of punishments," a spokeswoman said.
She added that punishments such as penalty notices for disorder saved thousands of hours of police time.