Crime down in Thames Valley

Statistics from the Home Office reveal a seven per cent decrease in overall crime levels in Thames Valley

OVERALL crime levels in the Thames Valley police area are down seven per cent this year, according to new statistics from the Home Office.

The annual crime statistics released yesterday (Thursday) show that 172,422 offences were recorded in the Thames Valley police force area between April 2010 and March 2011 - 13,184 (7.1 per cent) fewer than during the same period the previous year.

The figures have shown that the number of violent crimes against the person (35,906), sexual offences (2,195), robberies (2,082) and burglaries (20,804) all decreased this year by between five and 10 per cent - a higher rate than the national average - while offences against vehicles (18,371) fell by 21 per cent in the Thames Valley, compared to a decrease of 9.1 per cent nationally.

And at the same time, crime detection rates in Thames Valley increased by almost three per cent, from 20.3 per cent to 23.1 per cent.

Thames Valley Police Chief Constable, Sara Thornton, said she was pleased with the overall findings.

She said: “I welcome the fact that the overall level of crime across the Thames Valley area, including the more serious categories of crime such as violence, sexual offences and robbery, has fallen.

“I am also pleased with the improvement in detection rates and the figures released by the British Crime Survey, which shows a greater increase in public confidence in Thames Valley Police.

“This is a testament to the hard work of both our officers and staff, who are dedicated to ensuring our communities are a safe place to live and work in.”

The data compiled for the British Crime Survey showed that 63 per cent of those people asked in the Thames Valley felt that the force, which serves more than two million people, including more than 150,000 in West Berkshire, was doing an excellent or good job.

This was four per cent higher than the national average, while 61 per cent of the people asked said they felt the force dealt with local concerns.

Fifty four per cent of people asked said they felt the police force and local authorities were dealing with issues.

Ms Thornton said that although the figures compared favourably to the national trend, the force was always committed to improving its performance further.