Crime rate down in South Wales

June 1, 2009 No Comments

Your chances of becoming the victim of a burglary today compared to 1991 have halved, while 18 years ago you were three times more likely to be a car crime.

Quarterly crime figures reveal that crime is continuing to fall throughout the South Wales Police force area.

Figures released this morning show an overall reduction in crime of 7.6% – this means that there were 2,427 less victims of crime in South Wales during October to December 2008 compared to the same period the previous year (2007).

Deputy Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said:

“Today’s figures are further evidence that we are keeping our communities safe and that South Wales is a safe place to live.

“Once again it is pleasing to see that burglary, a most distressing crime for our communities has fallen once again, with burglaries of houses down by nearly 20%, which means that there were 322 less houses burgled compared to the same period last year. We have also seen a 21% increase in the number of offenders caught and charged or cautioned. Further figures for the year ending March 2009 show a reduction of 14.5%.

“Our commitment to ensuring auto crime does not blight our communities has also paid dividends with the number of vehicles being stolen falling by over 20% and the number of offenders arrested up from 12.7% to 20.6%.

“I am delighted to see that violent crime has continued to reduce with a 10% reduction on the same period last year – this equates to 655 less victims. We have also continued to maintain the 12% reduction in sexual offences seen in the results of the last quarter.

“Figures also show a rise of 10% in drug trafficking offences, which is a reflection of our commitment and sustained effort to tackle drugs in our communities. Our proactive operations have also resulted in a 33% increase in the number of people arrested and charged with drug trafficking offences.

“Admittedly, we remain concerned about the effect the economic downturn is having on the communities of South Wales.

“However, as the figures show, we are continuing to work hard to ensure the current financial climate does not cause an increase in crime in South Wales, and if and when there is evidence to show an increase in any area of crime we will provide a concerted effort to reduce the problem.

“Last quarter I told you that we would prioritise robbery as figures showed an increase of 8%, this quarter I am proud to tell you that we have delivered what we promised with robbery figures for this quarter showing a reduction of 7%.

“When we look back to the crime figures from the early nineties when we last felt the affects of a recession, the steep increase in crimes evident then are not apparent today. In truth, your chances of becoming the victim of a burglary today compared to 1991 have halved, while 18 years ago you were three times more likely to be a car crime.

“However, we are not complacent and remain committed to safeguarding our communities during what is understandably a tough time for all. We will continue to deliver innovative policing that tackles crime head on, but the onus must also be on members of the public who can take simple precautions that can prevent them from becoming a statistic.

“I am also delighted to see that our work is yielding benefits for our communities, and that your confidence in our service is growing. The latest British Crime Survey data tells us that South Wales is actually one of the safest places to live in the UK according to personal experiences of crime.

“However, one of our biggest challenges is perception of crime. With decreasing crime levels and increasing detection rates, by right, the public’s confidence in the police service should be higher than it has been for many years, after all, collectively we have managed to cut crime by 25% since 1991.

“It is now a priority for us to increase awareness among our communities that South Wales Police is having a positive affect on crime and we remain committed to ensuing south Wales not only remains a safe place, but feels and looks a safe place to live, work and visit”.

Police News