Pressures in the 20th and 21st centuries
The 20th century saw the development of new types of crime. Technological advances opened up opportunities for criminals, particularly with the rise in car ownership, the wider use of computers, the increasing numbers of ways in which illegal drugs could be distributed and the growth of modern terrorism.
Changing crime in the 20th century
| Murders | Burglaries | Thefts | |
| 1900 | 312 | 3,812 | 63,604 |
| 2000 | 681 | 1,100,000 | 2,380,000 |
| 2020 | 725 | 349,271 | 1,715,484 |
| 1900 | |
| Murders | 312 |
| Burglaries | 3,812 |
| Thefts | 63,604 |
| 2000 | |
| Murders | 681 |
| Burglaries | 1,100,000 |
| Thefts | 2,380,000 |
| 2020 | |
| Murders | 725 |
| Burglaries | 349,271 |
| Thefts | 1,715,484 |
- Crime rates rose sharply in the 20th century as more crimes were being reported, recorded and detected by the police.
- Crime rates began to fall in the 21st century.
- Crimes linked with cars are one of the most common types of crime in Britain.
- Existing crimes continue to be committed, such as theft, robbery, assault and murder.
- By the mid-2020s, traditional crimes such as burglary fell significantly from their early-2000s peak, although some offences such as theft and fraud have fluctuated in recent years.
Transport crime
Cars first began to be mass produced in the 1920s. By the 1930s, cars were increasingly affordable to upper- and middle-class people. By the end of the 20th century, there were over 25 million cars on British roads.
Cars have led to new crimes. New laws have been passed to make driving safer. For example, there are now laws against:
- drink-driving
- driving without a licence or insurance
- driving a car without a valid MOT certificate
- dangerous driving
- speeding
- using a mobile phone while driving
Cars are used to commit crimes. They allow criminals to get to the scene of a crime more quickly and getaway cars can make escape more likely. Cars have also been used as weapons in crimes, such as ram-raiding, where vehicles are driven into premises in order to steal items from inside.
Criminals can also make money from stealing cars. People often leave personal property inside them, which can be easily targeted by thieves.
Computer crime
The invention of computers has created new types of crime. It has also provided criminals with new opportunities and methods of committing existing types of crime.
| New types of crime |
| Hacking |
| Malware and ransomware attacks |
| Phishing and online scams |
| Identity theft |
| Online fraud |
| New types of crime | Hacking |
|---|
| New types of crime | Malware and ransomware attacks |
|---|
| New types of crime | Phishing and online scams |
|---|
| New types of crime | Identity theft |
|---|
| New types of crime | Online fraud |
|---|
| New methods of committing crimes |
| Cyberbullying |
| Online fraud and impersonation scams |
| Sexual exploitation and grooming online |
| Using encrypted messaging or the dark web to organise crime |
| New methods of committing crimes | Cyberbullying |
|---|
| New methods of committing crimes | Online fraud and impersonation scams |
|---|
| New methods of committing crimes | Sexual exploitation and grooming online |
|---|
| New methods of committing crimes | Using encrypted messaging or the dark web to organise crime |
|---|
Widespread access to smartphones and the internet has made it easier for criminals to commit offences remotely, including fraud, data theft and online exploitation. Many modern crimes can now be carried out across national borders.
Drug-related crime
Since the 1960s, many laws have been introduced criminalising drug use. This has led to increases in many drug-related crimes. There are now greater opportunities for criminals to make significant profits from growing, making, trafficking and selling drugs.
Drug smuggling and distribution is a form of organised crime, ie run by a gang. These gangs often compete with each other for customers. Often the rivalry between drug gangs can lead to gang violence and to gun and knife crime.
Because drugs are addictive, drug users often resort to other crimes, such as theft or burglary, to get the funds to buy drugs.
Drug gangs can also be involved in other types of organised crime, such as The illegal transportation of people for forced labour or sexual exploitation.
Violent crime
Throughout the 20th century, there was an increase in violent crime. For example, gun crime grew by 90 per cent in the decade between 1999 and 2009. Knife crime also increased, with 277 deaths from stabbings in England and Wales in 2008. Knife crime is often linked to juvenile gangs.
The increase was due to a number of reasons:
- Increased access to guns and knives.
- Increased use of alcohol and drugs, which are commonly linked with violent crimes, financially motivated crimes, and crimes involving weapons.
- Media, films, music and video games sometimes glamorise violent crimes, and some people think this has influenced people to commit crimes.
- Gangs of rival football fans sometimes fought each other throughout the 20th century. However, from the 1970s onwards, it became a particular problem and such brawls became more organised and targeted. Special police units, segregation of fans and the use of CCTV have helped to control the problem.
As of 2026, knife crime in England and Wales showed a decrease, with reports indicating a fall in knife-related killings.
Despite this, knife crime remains a major issue: in the year ending March 2025, there were approximately 53,000 police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales.
