Crime and criminal justice

The results of a collection of data for the period 1999 - 2008 from European countries are presented in this 'Statistics in focus'. The topics covered include crimes recorded by the police (total crime, homicide, violent crime, robbery, domestic burglary, motor vehicle theft and drug trafficking), the prison population and the number of police officers. Police recorded figures suggest that, in the EU, total crime rose from 1999 to reach a peak about 2002 but has fallen consistently in the last few years.