The number of crimes recorded by police fell by 4% to 4.1 million in the last year, figures have shown.
The fall was fuelled by a drop in the number of all crime offence groups except robbery and other thefts, which were both up 4% in the year to September, compared with the previous 12 months.
Separate figures from the British Crime Survey showed "no statistically significant change" in the estimated number of crimes compared with the previous 12 months.
Around half of all robberies, including the theft of smartphones, bags and cash, took place in London, the figures showed.
The 4% increase in robberies across England and Wales was driven by a 13% rise in the Metropolitan Police area and a 10% increase in the West Midlands.
But Greater Manchester Police, another of the biggest forces in the country, showed a 14% fall in the number of robberies.
The national police figures showed the number of robberies involving knives rose 10% in the year ending September, up from 13,971 in 2010 to 15,313 last year.
Chief Constable Jon Murphy, the lead for crime for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said: "While falls in violence against the person overall fell, a continued cause for concern was the increase in pickpocketing, robbery, and robbery with knives.
"This has been driven by a rise in robberies of personal property and police forces will want to focus actions on tackling these offences and offering crime prevention advice."