Why are public perceptions of crime so at odds with official statistics?

There are two obvious answers: The media keeps trying to panic the public, as with swine flu...or the government/police are falsifying the statistics in some way. but this is the British Crime Survey, which is not under the control of either! the article is not of first year essay standard, which is a bit disappointing, since the independent is supposed to be for reasonably well educated people....Ah me!