The graph below shows the rate of homicide in England & Wales going all the way back from 1967 to 2016.
The graph details the rate of murder per 100,000 of population which is the standard reporting metric. It’s a reasonable metric to use to consider the relative safety of citizens over the given time period. Remarkable decline in homicide rates from 2003 (1.79 per 100,000) to almost half that number during 2015 (0.9 per 100,000).
Does this reflect your personal perception of relative public safety?
Source data: Office for National Statistics