Fall in violent crime injuries
According to a new study of A&E departments, injuries called by violent crime have fallen significantly.
The Cardiff university study found that the number of people admitted to casualty units after sustaining injuries from violence had fallen by 20 per cent over the last five years.
Researchers suggest the roll-out of CCTV cameras could have played a part as they enable earlier intervention by police at the scene of assaults.
Today’s survey comes after official figures showed an increase in the number of violent crimes recorded by police – but a fall in the level of violent crime reported to the British Crime Survey.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery expert Professor Jonathan Shepherd said this decrease in injuries showed police statistics could not be entirely relied upon.
“Prevention of violence-related injury is a major public health priority,” Prof Shepherd told the Independent.
“These results represent a clear reduction in harm across all age groups and both age groups and genders.
“The findings indicate that police statistics are not a reliable measure of violence.”
The university’s violence research group carried out the research using a sample of 32 hospital A&E departments.
