The line graph shows the number of serious crimes in London from 2003 to 2012, including armed robbery, assault and murder. Overall, armed robbery was the most common crime at the beginning, but the number of armed robbery dropped sharply over the period. In contrast, assault became the most frequent by the end of the period. Murder remained the least common from 2003 to 2012.
In 2003, armed robbery was the most frequent crime, at about 3,500 cases. It rose slightly to around 3,700 in 2004, but then dropped to about 1,000 in 2007 and reached its lowest number of nearly 500 in 2008. After that, the number remained low until 2012, staying just under 1,000 cases.
By contrast, assault started at around 2,000 incidents in 2003 and fluctuated throughout the years. It decreased slightly until 2007, then climbed again, reaching about 2,700 in 2012, becoming the most common crime by the end. Murder figures were much lower, beginning at 400 cases in 2003, peaking at nearly 700 in 2005, and then falling gradually to about 500 by 2012. On the other hand, murder stayed between 400 and 700 cases, with some small changes during the period.