Crimes against adults living in private households decreased by 2 percent. The BCS estimate for crimes against adults living in private households, based on interviews taking place in 2002/2003, was approximately 12.3 million. This represents a decrease of 2 percent compared with the estimate for 2001/2002. Police recorded crime has been affected by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) this year. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in 2002/2003 was just under 5.9 million, which once the impact of the NCRS has been taken into account, suggests an underlying fall of 3 percent. Since 1995, the BCS has reported a fall in crime at each successive survey. There has been a 25 percent fall in the crime measured by the BCS over the last 5 years, between 1997 and the 2002/2003 BCS. Burglary has fallen by 39 percent since 1997. Vehicle related thefts have fallen by 31 percent. There was a significant reduction of 5 percent in vehicle thefts compared to last year. After steep falls in violent crime measured by the BCS, the trend appears to have leveled off. Police recorded violence has been greatly affected by recording changes, but there has been an estimated 2 percent increase once these impacts have been accounted for. Household crime is highest in Yorkshire and Humberside region, and lowest in Wales, according to the BCS. Of those crimes recorded by the police in 2002/2003, 23.5 percent were detected. The number of detections was 8 percent higher than in 2001/2002, though the detection rate was similar. Despite decreasing levels of crime in England and Wales, more people think that crime has increased over the last 2 years. 45 figures, 63 tables, 3 appendices