LATEST CUMBRIAN CRIME FIGURES RELEASED
LATEST CUMBRIAN CRIME FIGURES RELEASED
Posted: May 26, 2011
Hundreds of child sex crimes were reported in the Cumbria last year.
Crime figures have been released this lunchtime and show there were 188 child sex offences in the county.
Violent sex crimes against adults have risen by 12%.
Elsewhere domestic violence has risen 14% in the last year, but every other type of crime is down though, including burglary, criminal damage and car crime.
Officers say in particular South Lakeland is one of the safest places to live in the country.
Cumbria Chief Constable Craig Mackey said: “I am pleased with our performance over the last twelve months and happy that crime remains low in Cumbria.
“Tackling antisocial behaviour is the top priority for local communities, so a fall of eleven per cent in this category is particularly pleasing. We will continue to work closely with local residents and partner agencies to focus on the issues and concerns that matter most in each community. Our low rates of burglary also highlight what a safe place Cumbria is.
“An additional 34 serious sexual crimes were reported to police in the county last year, and there was an increase in the number of domestic violence incidents. On the one hand it is encouraging to know that victims have the confidence to report incidents of this nature to police, on the other we now have to increase our efforts to support these victims and to prevent similar crime in the future.
“The challenge for Cumbria Constabulary now is to maintain low rates of crime in a difficult financial climate. We will do everything we can to minimise the affect of budget cuts on frontline policing, and will continue to work closely with local communities to make Cumbria safer.”
Ray Cole, the Chairman of Cumbria Police Authority, the policing ‘watchdog’ for Cumbria, said: “The Police Authority commends the Constabulary’s continued high level of performance over the last twelve months. We welcome the considerable reductions in antisocial behaviour incidents, burglaries and other types of crime, which we know are of great concern to local communities. The Authority supports the Constabulary’s work to encourage people to come forward to report sexual assaults and domestic violence. We have scrutinised this closely over the past year and are satisfied that the right action is being taken to support victims and prevent these crimes in the future.
“In a changing financial climate we face some challenging decisions in order to maintain such a high level of performance.”
