Licensed firearms .sx Due to concern at the cost of administering the firearms licensing system , a multi-force scrutiny of the subject has been conducted .sx Using this research a Joint Working Group involving ACPO , the Home Office and the Inspectorate produced a best practice paper , which has been circulated to all forces .sx It is designed to streamline the licensing procedures and ensure that a high quality of service is given to firearms users .sx The use of firearms by police .sx I reported last year that 17 forces had introduced Armed Response Vehicles ( ARVs) .sx This number has now increased to 24 forces .sx The deployment of specialist officers equipped to respond to armed incidents is necessary to match the rise in the criminal use of firearms .sx Apart from operational advantages ARVs :sx restrict the use of firearms to a smaller cadre of experienced and better trained officers ; .sx reduce abstractions for firearms training .sx During 1991 , there were five incidents in which police fired shots which resulted in death or injury .sx All these incidents were referred to the Police Complaints Authority who supervised investigations into the shootings .sx In two of these cases , the weapons recovered from those shot by police were incapable of firing ammunition .sx Individuals who threaten members of the public or police officers with replica firearms place themselves in extreme danger .sx Even under ideal conditions it is often difficult to distinguish between a replica and a genuine firearm .sx At night or in an operational situation it is virtually impossible particularly as individuals in these circumstances usually act in a way calculated to indicate that the weapon is real .sx I am pleased that the Government are considering recommendations for extending the range of offences relating to the misuses of replica firearms .sx Crime There has been yet another dramatic increase in the number of recorded crimes .sx Crime in some force areas increased by as much as 34% .sx During 1991 , approximately 4.2 million offences were recorded in the provincial police forces , an increase of some 18% over 1990 .sx The vast majority of recorded crimes , approximately 94% , was against property .sx Of this 30% involved the theft of or from motor vehicles and 24% were burglaries .sx Crimes involving violence accounted for 5% of the total offences and there are wide variations in the frequency of different types of violent crime .sx For example , whilst offences of robbery show an increase of 29% , sexual offences , the majority of which comprise indecent assaults on females , show a comparatively small increase of 1.7%. However such crimes remain of particular concern to both the public and the police .sx This is reflected in the high overall clear-up rate for these offences .sx The Police Service has never done more to ensure that reported crime is effectively investigated .sx This has been achieved by :sx the continued development of crime management units ; .sx the improvement of administrative and crime support units ; .sx the development of crime intelligence systems ; .sx the increasing targeting of criminals .sx Staff from the Inspectorate have conducted a study into the investigation of offences of domestic burglary in some provincial forces .sx The study addressed a number of issues including the quality of the service provided to the victim of crime .sx It revealed discrepancies in the way burglaries were recorded and investigated and while generally the standard was already high there was scope for improvement .sx The findings of this research have been prepared as a good practice document and circulated to all forces .sx It has been roughly estimated that car crime in the United Kingdom costs something in the order of pounds1 billion per annum , although this does not take into account the human cost in terms of death and injury which result from these offences .sx In the outbreaks of disorder that occurred during the year , a common factor has often been the criminal use of motor vehicles , incuding the unlawful taking of high powered cars .sx Forces have responded by adopting a wide range of tactics including operational targeting and the implementation of force wide and inter-regional initiatives involving crime squads , traffic task force units and helicopter surveillance .sx Other specific strategies have been aimed at developing local authority and inter-agency co-operation to divert young people from car crime .sx In addition , forces have emphasised the importance of vehicle security in their crime prevention strategies and many have undertaken innovative ideas aimed at combating car crime .sx An example of this is 'Vehicle Watch' .sx This initiative has been adopted by a considerable number of forces throughout the country .sx The four Welsh forces have taken this one step further by introducing an all Wales 'Vehicle Watch' scheme .sx These efforts will be continued with national crime prevention strategies being targeted towards vehicle offences .sx Whilst the potential seriousness of car crime is clearly recognised by the Service and local initiatives have often proved successful in combating it , something more than policing initiatives will be necessary if any significant impact is to be made in reducing thefts of and from motor vehicles .sx I welcome the wide range of initiatives now being taken forward by the Home Office to tackle this problem .sx Prevention is central to the fight against crime and training courses provided to police officers at the Home Office Crime Prevention Centre are desigend to increase the penetration of the philosophy of crime prevention within the Police Service .sx In addition the Safer Cities initiatives demonstrate how local action can effectively combat crime by way of specific crime prevention schemes and the development of multi-agency partnerships .sx I support the continuing efforts of the Home Office and the police to make the public more aware of the need to take crime prevention seriously , although clearly there is still much to be done to achieve effective and long term practical improvements .sx Child abuse .sx The publication 'Working Together' has been revised and updated in the light of good practice and difficulties experienced in the past three years .sx It provides an excellent guide to inter-agency co-operation for the protection of children from abuse .sx The joint investigation of child abuse can be a complex and difficult responsibility and is not one which all officers would choose or indeed are suited to undertake .sx HMIC supports the principle that such duties whould , wherever practicable , be undertaken by specialist teams of selected officers who have received joint training with Social Services .sx Examination of child abuse procedures by HMIC will continue to be a priority and liaison will be maintained with the Social Services Inspectorate to ensure that the good progress made in inter-agency practice is continued and that the best interests of children is ensured .sx Serious and organised crime .sx Regional Crime Squads , together with their drugs wings , have continued to provide an effective response to professional criminals whose activities transcend force , regional and national boundaries .sx With the easing of international border controls , the Police Service finds itself having to respond more and more to international crime and the expertise of the Regional Crime Squads in increasingly important .sx Last year , I referred briefly to the review that had been undertaken in relation to Regional Crime Squads .sx The recommendations resulting from this review are intended to provide a more effective and efficient investigative force capable of tackling the most serious crime and have been the subject of wide consultation and comprehensive financial analysis .sx A tripartite steering group is currently considering all the implications , with a view to identifying the appropriate way forward .sx Drugs The growth in the misuse of drugs in the United Kingdom continues to be a very considerable cause for concern with major criminals being drawn into the field by the expectation of high financial rewards .sx Whilst some two-thirds of the total drugs problem is centred in London and the South East , the majority of conurbations now have well-established drugs communities supplied by organised distributors .sx Heroin use remains high and in the period January to September 1991 the police seized more heroin than in the whole of 1990 .sx The increase in the number of seizures of 'Crack' is of particular concern with intelligence suggesting that this form of drug is becoming more widely available .sx Seizures of amphetamines confirm them as having the widest distribution of all drugs .sx They are particularly attractive to young people and injection , being a fairly common practice , presents serious ancillary health risks through intravenous infection .sx Police seizures of the hallucinogenic derivative MDMA ( Ecstasy ) have greatly exceeded those in 1990 .sx Seized Assets Fund .sx During the early part of the year the Home Secretary announced the establishment of the Seized Assets Fund financed from the proceeds of drug trafficking seized under international confiscation agreements .sx Of the pounds3 .sx 2 million received during 1991/92 , pounds1 million has been earmarked to finance international drug investigations by Police and Customs and pounds2 .sx 2 million has been made available for individual projects directed against the misuse of drugs .sx A total of pounds424,000 from the fund has been made available to 14 police forces to purchase encrypted radios to assist in anti drugs operations with pounds81,500 for specialist computer equipment .sx Terrrorism Terrorist outrages throughout Great Britain continued during 1991 , with the IRA displaying no regard for human life in their quest to inflict damage on a variety of targets .sx There were 59 terrorist related incidents in 1991 , most of which involved the use of incendiary devices .sx It has been several years since the terrorists last employed this method to attack property on the mainland .sx While the more serious incidents included the bomb attack at Victoria Station , in which one man was killed , and the mortar bomb attack on Dowing Street , all caused serious inconvenience to the public and disrupted normal life .sx Two terrorists were killed while attempting to carry out an attack in Hertfordshire , when the bomb they were handling exploded prematurely .sx Notwithstanding the efforts of the IRA , it has been shown that incresed vigilance and counter measures have thwarted the terrorists on several occasions .sx The co-ordinated police approach to the terrorist campaign has undoubtedly contributed significantly to the disruption of IRA activities .sx Offending on bail .sx My introduction to this report raised the considerable concern expressed within the Service about offenders who continue to commit crime while on bail .sx Whilst the Police Service acknowledges the pressure that exists within our already overcrowded prisons , the abuse of the bail system by some hardened and active criminals causes frustration both to the public and to the victims of crime .sx I am pleased the Home Office has announced a range of measures intended to improve bail decisions and so reduce the opportunities for offending while on bail .sx Work is also in hand to examine aspects of police bail .sx A new working group , including the police , courts and prosecutors , will take this work forward .sx Victims support .sx The police have continued to work closely with members of Victims Support Schemes to provide reassurance and assistance to the victims of crime .sx A commitment to the care of victims is an important part of the police investigation of crime .sx It can do much to alleviate the fear and anxieties caused when offences are committed and ensures the support and co-operation of the general community .sx Of particular note is the effort now being made to care for the victims of domestic violence .sx Many forces have trained dedicated officers and are encouraged to work closely with all agencies to provide a comprehensive system of support to those who suffer from crime .sx Traffic The new Road Traffic Act , inter alia , contained provisions for detecting motoring offences by use of unmanned cameras .sx The current cost of these cameras is in the region of pounds25,000 and Chief Officers will need to consider their priorities carefully when contemplating the purchase of this equipment .sx The indications are that the publicity surrounding the installation of these cameras reduces road accidents .sx The use of information technology is essential if expensive traffic resources are to be effectively and efficiently used .sx The development of computer packages to analyse in detail the causes of accidents will permit force traffic departments and local police commanders to work with the local authority and other agencies to prepare action plans aimed at reducing accidents .sx Safety on the roads affects everyone in society .sx I regard the maintenance of road safety and the enforcement of traffic laws as being important features in the overall provision of a quality policing service .sx