Get the facts on crime

Crime is difficult to measure and that makes it easy to be alarmed by newspaper reports that might not tell the whole story. We look behind the headline figures and put them in context

Get the facts on… Effectiveness of the justice system The police Sex offences

Domestic violence and abuse

Fact checks related to domestic violence, abuse and other criminal offences

Effectiveness of the justice system

Fact checks related to the effectiveness of the justice system including budgets, staffing and policing

Fairness in the justice system

Fact checks related to fairness in the justice system including young people and race in the criminal justice system

Violent crime

fact checks related to violent crime, including knife crime, gang crime and hate crime

Higher deportation rates don’t necessarily demonstrate ‘disproportionate targeting’ of Jamaicans

The data is not entirely reliable, and there may be multiple reasons why deportation rates vary, including whether deportation would affect someone’s human rights.

A George Floyd mural in Manchester was not chosen over a Lee Rigby memorial

A Facebook post falsely claims that Manchester councillors approved a George Floyd mural over one of Lee Rigby.

Police have recommended the Hollie Guard app

The personal security app allows users to alert contacts if they feel unsafe.

Read more Violent crime fact checks

Sex offences

Fact checks related to sexual violence, harassment and assault.

The police

Fact checks relating to the police, policing, funding of the police service and public perceptions of crime.

Crime fact checks

CCTV showing woman’s drink being spiked is a dramatisation

16 September 2021

A video on social media which shows a woman’s drink being spiked was staged for ‘entertainment purposes’.

Higher deportation rates don’t necessarily demonstrate ‘disproportionate targeting’ of Jamaicans

The data is not entirely reliable, and there may be multiple reasons why deportation rates vary, including whether deportation would affect someone’s human rights.

Tanks in Paris were almost certainly there for Bastille Day

Social media posts have misleadingly suggested tanks were deployed in Paris in response to protests.

See all crime fact checks

The state of prisons

Fact checks relating to the UK prison services, number of prison officers and budgets