Issued by North Yorkshire Police
It’s official, North Yorkshire is the safest place in England with crime down by 9% during the past year.
It was confirmed today (Thursday 18 July 2013) in a report by the Office of National Statistics about Crime in England and Wales for the 12 month period up to the end of March 2013.
This equates to 3,415 fewer victims of crime compared to last year, with a total of 35,301 crimes.
Nationally, this places the North Yorkshire Police area as the joint lowest crime place in England. However, the most recent crime data from the Home Office shows that North Yorkshire is first in England.
The figures also show that recorded cases of anti-social behaviour has been reduced in North Yorkshire from 50,656 incidents in 2007-08 to 33,593 in 2012-13.
Broken down into the main crime categories, the figures show:
- 26% reduction in robbery
- 12% reduction in burglaries
- 12% reduction in theft from the person
- 21% reduction in bicycle theft
- Shoplifting went up by 1%
- Violence against the person remained the same
- 14% reduction in vehicle offences
- 12% reduction in criminal damage and arson
- 13% reduction in drug offences
- sexual offences increased by 13% (This rise is regarded as a positive reflection of the confidence victims have in North Yorkshire Police, particularly those making historical complaints)
- fraud increased by 19%
Chief Constable Dave Jones said: “The latest crime figures are a good indication that North Yorkshire Police and our partner agencies are doing an outstanding job to drive down crime and tackle anti-social behaviour head-on.
“In the month and a half that I have been Chief Constable, I have seen first hand the professionalism and dedication of our staff who keep residents safe from harm and bring criminals to justice.
“I will work hard to ensure we keep up the pressure on those who try to bring misery to our communities. There will be no let up and nowhere to hide for the criminal fraternity, both inside North Yorkshire and across the borders, with targeted patrols and the increased effectiveness of our Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.
“I will also oversee further improvements in the service and support we provide to victims of crime. Victims are our number one priority and must always come first.”
Mr Jones added: “There is no doubt, however, that we are entering into a very challenging period for the police service as a whole, not least working within the funding constraints and the need to be sustainable and effective in the future.
“Whilst the public can be reassured that we will do everything in our power to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, I do think a note of caution is necessary as we fully adapt to the changes and the challenge of being able to continually deliver crime reductions.”
Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, said: “North Yorkshire residents will be reassured to see that crime has continued to fall in our county. The dedication of all our police officers and police staff means we can continue to target criminals and protect our communities from harm.
“Keeping North Yorkshire as the safest county in England over time is one of the principal goals of our Police and Crime Plan. It is clear we do have challenges ahead and we are putting in place plans to ensure we meet them and continue to keep North Yorkshire safe. There is always more we can do to meet the needs of our communities and better support victims of crime.”
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