Winning the war on crime

NEW figures released from the British Crime Survey show that Cheshire is bucking the trend when it comes to crime.
While across England and Wales there has been a three per cent increase in robbery offences, in Cheshire there has been a nine per cent drop.
Overall, Cheshire had 4,701 fewer victims of crime last year than the previous year – a seven per cent drop.
There were also fewer victims of violent crime, which has reduced by 10 per cent with 1,308 less offences.
Cheshire’s continued focus on reducing burglaries in homes resulted in a 17 per cent 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 Cheshire saw 539 fewer offences (6 percent reduction) across all categories of burglary.
Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie said: “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.”
However, there has been a nine per cent increase in drug offences – largely as a result of more activity by the police in targeting those involved in drug use and supply.
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 added: “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.”