Official statistics show that crime in Britain has been falling for a decade. This includes the British Crime Survey, which, rather than relying on police statistics, obtains information by asking people about crimes they have experienced.
The fact is, the gutter press (Sun, Daily Mail et al) can't make good headlines out of falling crime figures. They can, however, sensationalise extremely rare occurrences, such as burglars being killed by householders. The gullible are happy to lap-up this nonsense, whereas those with a more enquiring mind look elsewhere for their information.