Commissioner backs Shropshire police over crime rise
West Mercia's police and crime commissioner today said he welcomes the fact people feel more confident in reporting crime after new figures showed recorded crime in the area up by 11 per cent.
John Campion said the figures, which also showed a sharp rise in the number of violent offences being dealt with by police, were in line with the national figure, and that the public should be assured that the police were working hard to protect the public.
The figures showed that a total of 80,936 crimes were recorded by West Mercia Police in the year up to March, a year-on-year increase of 11 per cent. They do not include fraud offences, which are recorded separately.
However the number of violent offences saw a 17 per cent increase, and the number of robberies up by a fifth.
Crimes involving the possession of an offensive weapon were up by 28 per cent, and public order offences were up by 38 per cent.
Mr Campion said: "There are a number of factors which can contribute to an increase in recorded crime, but I welcome the fact that our communities feel more confident in reporting, than they have done before.
"The figures are in line with the national picture, and our communities should be reassured that our police force are working hard to tackle emerging crime types.
"I will continue to hold the chief constable to account, and ensure that the resources are in place to ensure that are communities are safe, and feel safe.”
His comments echo those of Chief Supt Charles Hill, the police chief in charge of Shropshire and Herefordshire, who said: "An increase in crime recorded is a positive outcome, particularly in areas that we know crime has, typically, been under reported. This reflects an increase in public confidence in police for reporting crimes."
Dyfed-Powys saw a smaller increase in crime, at just nine per cent overall, although violent crime increased by almost a quarter. A total of 23,268 crimes were committed in the force area, with 7,637 of them falling into the violent category. The biggest rise was in violence without injury, which saw a 36 per cent increase.
Meanwhile, separate figures for the Crime Survey of England and Wales said a total of 11 million offences took place – compared to 4.3 million for the recorded crime figures.
The survey asks victims about experiences of a range of crimes and does not include the same types as those measured by police recorded figures.
