Cumbria has the lowest rate of burglary in England and overall crime continues to fall according to the latest figures revealed by the Home Office today.
The national quarterly crime statistics highlight that there were 2,440 fewer reported crimes in Cumbria between September 2009 and September 2010 compared to the same period the previous year. This represents a reduction in overall crime of eight per cent and thousands of fewer victims across the county.
Crime fell from 29,729 reported incidents in Cumbria between September 2009 and September 2010, to 27,289 between September 2009 and September 2010.
The statistics also show there were fewer victims of burglary in Cumbria than anywhere else in the country with 16 per cent fewer incidents reported to police than last year.
The number of residents who are confident that Cumbria Constabulary is dealing with the crimes that matter most to them has increased to 64 per cent – the highest levels in the country. While those who perceive anti-social behaviour levels as being high are amongst the lowest in the country at just nine per cent.
The report released today is produced by the Home Office and discusses the latest crime trends in England and Wales. The report is based on two sources of statistics, the British Crime Survey (BCS) and police recorded crime data.
The statistics reveal that criminal damage has fallen by 16 per cent, vehicle crime by 9 per cent, violence against the person by 8 per cent, and fraud by 6 per cent.
Chief Constable Craig Mackey welcomed the figures. He said: “Over the last year my officers and staff have been working hard to support our communities to tackle crime and focus on the issues that matter most to local people. This commitment shines through in the latest figures released today which show overall crime has fallen by eight per cent.
“To see that in Cumbria we have had fewer victims of burglary than anywhere else in England and Wales is really good news – it shows that our focus on crime prevention, deterring offenders and working with local communities to set up Neighbourhood Watch and Farm Watch schemes has made a real difference and improved the quality of life for our residents.
“It is encouraging to see that 64 per cent of our community believe we are dealing with the local issues which matter most to them. Our communities are at the heart of everything we do and this is something we want to build on in the future by tackling policing priorities in each area and making sure local residents are kept up to date with what we are doing in their neighbourhoods.
“These figures highlight why the people of Cumbria are right to be proud of their police force. The next year will see the restructure the Constabulary to provide the best police service possible to the people of Cumbria on the available budget. I am confident we can meet this challenge and maintain our high levels of performance.”
Although overall crime is down, Cumbria has experienced a 13 per cent rise in reports of sexual offences but still has the fewest victims in the country. The figures also highlight a 19 per cent rise in drug offences.
Mr Mackey added: “It is always disappointing to learn that specific types of crime are on the rise, but by constantly taking stock of crime trends across Cumbria we can ensure that we shift our focus to tackle these issues as a priority.
“Over the last year our specialist teams of detectives have been working with our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to dismantle and disrupt the county’s serious and organised crime groups. Our successes in this area over the last year led to greater numbers of drug offences being recorded and helped protect our communities.
“The increase in sexual offences is on the one hand worrying, but on the other a welcome rise, as one of the major hurdles faced by victims is working up the courage to report incidents to police. We have worked hard over recent years to ensure we have the people and facilities available to support victims and investigate sexual offences and this rise shows that this work is making a difference to victims.
“Over the coming year we will continue to focus on protecting our communities and pursuing offenders so that we can continue to drive down crime in Cumbria.”
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