Are Official Statistics a Reliable Source of Information about Crime in Britain?

Crime in Britain has steadily increased, with the exception of small decreases in the mid 50's and mid 90's, each year since records began in the mid 19th century. Over half of all these offences are for petty offences such as theft and handling stolen goods. In fact the majority of all offences are made up of crimes against property.
The majority of the prison population of the United Kingdom consists of young males, ethnic minorities and those from unskilled occupations. In fact criminals are predominantly male, as they make up 83% of known offenders. …