Cumbria remains one of the safest places in England and Wales

Statistics published yesterday by the Home Office reveal that Cumbria has one of the lowest rates of crime in England and Wales.

The annual statistics show that crime is down by 5% in Cumbria, from 27,963 reported incidents between June 2009 and June 2010 to 26,447 between June 2010 and June 2011, representing 1,516 fewer victims of crime. It also reveals that Cumbria has the lowest rate of crime in England outside London’s square mile.

The statistics drill down to specific crime types and confirm that rates of burglary in Cumbria are the lowest in the North West, down by 9%, that criminal damage is also down by 9%; violence against the person is down by 3% and vehicle crime is down by 17%. In fact, Cumbria has the lowest rate of vehicle crime in England outside London’s square mile.

The number of drug offences in Cumbria rose last year by 7%, from 1,701 in 09/10 to 1,824 in 10/11. The number of sexual offences rose slightly from 397 in 09/10 to 407 in 10/11, fraud and forgery rose from 585 in 09/10 to 634 in 10/11 and robbery rose from 53 offences in 09/10 to 67 in 10/11.

Confidence in Cumbria Constabulary remains high with 63% of local people saying police deal with local concerns.

Chief Constable Craig Mackey said: “I am pleased with our performance and happy that overall crime remains low in Cumbria.

“An overall drop in crime of five per cent shows that by working closely with local residents and partner agencies we can focus on the issues and concerns that matter most in each community and effectively tackle crime. Our low rates of burglary also highlight that Cumbria is a safe place to live, work and visit.

“I note a rise in the number of reported sex offences, which are a priority for our detectives. On the one hand, this is concerning, as it is a distressing crime, on the other, I am pleased that victims have the confidence to report incidents to police in the knowledge they will be supported and investigated as a priority.

“We will continue to focus on neighbourhood policing, and encourage people to share their views and priorities with us via community and online meetings, so that we can make sure we continue tackling the issues that matter most to local people.

“The challenge for Cumbria Constabulary now is to maintain low rates of crime in a difficult financial climate. We will do everything we can to minimise the affect of budget cuts on frontline policing, and will continue to work closely with local communities to make Cumbria safer.”

Ray Cole, Chairman of Cumbria Police Authority, the policing watchdog for Cumbria, said: “The Police Authority commends the Constabulary’s continued high level of performance. We welcome the reductions in crime and are pleased that neighbourhood policing teams continue to deal with the issues of most concern to local communities. The Authority supports the Constabulary’s work and will continue to scrutinise the performance of the force to ensure we maintain low rates of crime in Cumbria.”