Ex-top-cop 'remains sceptical' about latest crime stats.

Take the latest crime reduction stats with a large pinch of salt, says Andy Hayman, former Assistant Commissioner for Special Operations at the Metropolitan Police. And any other crime reduction stats for that matter...

Writing in The Times, Hayman says: "The publication of any set of crime figures always prompts a scrabble for explanations and interpretations, a round of political claims and counterclaims. Ministers are taking credit for the steady reduction in violent crime, whereas the financial burden of the current economic climate is being blamed by the Opposition for increases in burglary and fraud.

"I remain sceptical about both because I do not see how any firm conclusions can be drawn from figures that can only serve as an indicator. As Chief Constable in Norfolk, I used this type of data as a tool for monitoring how my force was performing. It revealed areas which, for whatever reason, were becoming crime hotspots and helped me to gauge how the force was faring against others.

"The temperamental nature of the statistics also meant that I could use them to deliver the message that suited the circumstances. If I needed to convince my paymasters that I required more resources in a certain area, an increase in crime could help my case..."

Read the rest of Andy Hayman's commentary in The Times here