Crime
continues to fall in Cheshire
Statisics published today, Thursday 20th October
2011, from the British Crime Survey reflect the period of July
2010 to the end of June 2011 and show that in Cheshire there were
4701 less victims of crime compared to the previous year (seven
percent drop).
Despite a three percent rise across England and
Wales, Cheshire has seen a nine percent drop in robbery offences,
and there were also fewer victims of violent crime, which has
reduced by 10 percent with 1308 less offences.
Homeowners should be reassured and pleased to see that the Constabulary′s
continued focus on reducing burglaries in homes resulted in a 17
percent reduction, which means there were 669 fewer victims.
Vehicle crime and criminal damage continue to fall, as does acquisitive
crime, where property is stolen, where the Constabulary saw 539
fewer offences (6 percent reduction) across all categories of burglary.
Commenting on the statistics, Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie
says, "It is always pleasing to see that crime is going down
in Cheshire but it is equally if not more important to me that
people actually feel safe where they live.
"Statistics are only part of the picture and as a Force it
is important to make sure that we are always working to do what
is right for the victim and community, with the ultimate aim of
reducing re-offending. I hope these figures go some way to reassure
people in Cheshire and make them feel safer, but as ever there
is always more work to be done and this is not just an issue for
the police. We work tirelessly everyday with our partner agencies
to ensure that victims are given the relevant help and support
they need, and people feel safe in their homes as well as on the
streets of Cheshire."
The number of people who feel the police are dealing with local
concerns has increased slightly from 55 to 56 percent and more
people also feel the police and local councils are dealing with
issues.
The Constabulary has seen an increase in drug offences of nine
percent which is a reflection of the proactive activity across
the Force targeting those involved in drug use and supply. It is
also a positive result of more information from members of the
public fed up with drugs blighting their communities and who want
to see action from the police.
Burglary in a building other than a dwelling which includes sheds,
garages and business premises has also increased. These offences
often result from insecurities and homeowners can take action to
prevent their property becoming a target by undergoing simple measures
to boost the security of their outbuildings as well as their homes.
ACC Purdie concluded on today′s report, "It remains a positive
picture for Cheshire but as we continue through challenging times
in policing, I think people will start to focus more on statistics
like this. For the Constabulary it is business as usual, and as
we work through the economic downturn, we will continue to find
ways of working more efficiently while still focussing our efforts
on delivering the best possible service to the communities of Cheshire,
making sure we engage with them and understand what is important
to them. We remain focussed on targeting people involved in criminal
activity and working with our partner agencies to bring them to
justice."
JANE THIRSK
Watch Officer
Cheshire Police
Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Team 0845 458 6371
Police non-emergency number: 101
Other Homewatch pages of current relevance: Briefs (recent
crimes in the Macclesfield Division including Bollington, Kerridge
and Pott Shrigley).
If you haven't looked at the homewatch pages before we recommend
looking at the homewatch home page.
