Cumbria remains one of the safest places in England and Wales

Statistics published today 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 4% in Cumbria, from 28,234 in 09/10 to 27,048 in 2010/11, representing 1,186 fewer victims of crime. It also reveals that Cumbria has the lowest rate of crime in England outside London’s square mile.

Tackling antisocial behaviour was the top priority for communities across Cumbria, and the annual statistics reveal that incidents of this nature fell by 11 per cent – from 37,174 reported incidents in 09/10 to 32,929 in 10/11.

The statistics also confirm that rates of burglary are the lowest in the North West, down by 15%, that criminal damage is down by 7%, violence against the person is down by 5% and vehicle crime is down by 17%. In fact, Cumbria has the lowest rate of vehicle crime in England outside the City of London, with a 53% fall in the number of incidents of vehicle interference, a 15% fall in the number of vehicles stolen and a 12% fall in the number of thefts from vehicles.

The number of drug offences in Cumbria rose last year by 8%, from 1,684 in 09/10 to 1,817 in 10/11, however, 96% of these were detected by police.

The number of sexual offences rose slightly from 385 in 09/10 to 391 in 10/11, and robbery also saw a rise from 47 offences in 09/10 to 66 in 10/11. Detection rates for robbery remain one of the highest in England and Wales, with 67% of robberies successfully detected by Cumbria Police.

Detection rates generally continue to rise, up from 25% in 2002/03 to 40% in 2010/11.

Confidence in Cumbria Constabulary remains high with 62% of local people saying police do an excellent or good job. 56% of people also say they are confident that Cumbria has a fair criminal justice system and 45% say they were confident the county has an effective criminal justice system.

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

“Tackling antisocial behaviour is the top priority for local communities, so a fall of eleven per cent in this category is particularly pleasing. We will continue to work closely with local residents and partner agencies to focus on the issues and concerns that matter most in each community. Our low rates of burglary also highlight that Cumbria is a safe place to live, work and visit.

“It is thanks to the strong links that police have with local communities that we are able to successfully tackle crime in Cumbria. 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 over the last twelve months. We welcome the considerable reductions in antisocial behaviour incidents, burglaries and other types of crime, which we know are of great 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.”