Praise For Nottinghamshire Police Despite Rise In Recorded Crime

5 April 2019, 07:27 | Updated: 5 April 2019, 07:28

Nottinghamshire Police has today released their annual crime figures for 2018/19 - which show a predicted overall 11% increase.

The figures are in line with current national trends and are mainly caused by a rise in recorded levels of violent crime - in particular the recently separate recording of stalking and harassment cases.

The force says it's performing well and above the national average in a number of significant areas, showing "tangible reductions" in homicide, death by dangerous/careless driving and burglary.

In the last 12 months, the number of recorded burglaries in Nottinghamshire has fallen by 5%, compared to the national average of 1%. Significantly, burglaries from homes have fallen by 8% and burglaries from sheds and garages have fallen by 22%.

Meanwhile, there's been a 14% increase in the proactive detection of those in possession of weapons/knives - with the number of searches up.

Nottinghamshire Police say their Knife Crime Team is taking a strategic approach towards tackling this national issue, focusing on preventative measures - with the rate of increased knife crime offences in Nottinghamshire falling over recent months.

Elsewhere - robbery has risen by 17% nationally but only 14% in Nottinghamshire.

However - the force says a rise in some categories is "welcome" as it demonstrates a lot of hard enforcement work around drugs and drug dealing. Also – in the last 12 months, the force has seen a 1.4% increase in reports of sexual offences, an area that has historically seen large increases - the national average has risen by 14%.

Other key areas include:

A 40% decrease in homicides, compared to the national average of an 8% increase. Last year, less than 10 homicides were reported in Nottinghamshire
A 45% decrease in deaths or serious injuries caused by unlawful driving, compared to a 5% decrease nationally
A 13% increase in violence without injury offences compared to a 19% increase nationally
A 3% decrease in vehicle offences compared with a 3% increase nationally

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “The latest figures show that we are increasingly targeting our resources in the right areas. An increase in the number of detections of weapons and drug offences mean that we are disrupting criminal activity and taking dangerous items off the streets, many of which have the potential for lethal consequences.

“Last year, we identified that burglary was an area where a more targeted approach was required and these figures show this approach has started to work. We will continue to focus our efforts on the areas where we can make the biggest difference to local people in reducing harm, renewing our focus on violent crime and continuing to foster good relationships with the communities we serve."

Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping said: “The figures released today reflect changes in reporting and recording practices and Nottinghamshire’s results are broadly in line with the rest of the country.

“Everyone recognises that resources are limited, that’s why it is important to target them effectively. Residents will be pleased to see a reduction in burglary, good performance on knife crime and an increased focus on robbery.

“Whilst the force deserve praise for what it has achieved, effective crime reduction depends on partnership working and information coming from the general public. At the end of the day we all want to feel safe and secure in our homes and streets.”