REPORTED CRIMES in County Durham and Darlington increased over the past year, according to the latest Performance Report from Police, Crime & Victims’ Commissioner, Ron Hogg.
The report indicates that the number of reported victim-based crimes rose by 35%, whilst levels of anti-social behaviour reduced by 14% over the twelve months to December 2017.
At the same time, residents of Durham and Darlington have greater confidence in the Police than almost anywhere else in the country. 85% of people agree that ‘taking everything into account I have confidence in the police’ – the third highest level for any force in the country.
Commenting on the report, Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner Ron Hogg said “There have been real increases in crimes such as theft, robbery and arson, but the increase is also due to changes to the national requirements for crime recording: more incidents such as harassment are now recorded as crimes, for example.
He added “The high level of confidence in policing means that local people are reporting more crimes and incidents. It is reassuring that victims appear to be increasingly confident to come forward and report their experiences, especially victims of sexual offences and hate crime”.
“Our police officers do an excellent job of keeping the public safe, and Durham Constabulary is still the most effective and efficient police force in the country. We also have some evidence that suggests that the rise in recorded crime figures will level off in the coming months.”
The number of Police Officers in County Durham and Darlington has dropped by 400 Officers since 2010, following reductions in Government funding. Ron continues to call on the Government to ensure that Police have the resources they need to protect the public.
Ron’s Public Performance Report is available on his website at: www.durham-pcc.gov.uk – Further crime prevention advice is available on the Durham Constabulary website at www.durham.police.uk