Efforts are being made across the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland to drive down crime and make Northern Ireland safer for everyone. As the PSNI crime statistics for 2007-08 show, violent crime is 7.6 per cent. lower than the previous year.
Findings from the 2006-07 Northern Ireland Crime Survey and British Crime Survey suggest that violent crime victimisation (prevalence) rates have fallen in both jurisdictions.
I meet with the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board on a regular basis to discuss their assessment of crime levels and trends.