CRIME figures published on Thursday, July 20, show a rise in recorded crime for Devon and Cornwall Police, reflecting an overall national increase in recorded crime.

The Devon and Cornwall Force has seen a 17.4 per cent increase across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly between July 2016 and June 2017, yet the area remains the third safest Force area in England and Wales.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Netherton, said: “We acknowledge the crime figures out today and the overall national increase in recorded crime. We must stress that crime figures only represent a minor part of what we as a police force actually do; around 80 per cent of our business is not crime related.

“According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, we have one of the highest levels of public confidence of any force across the country, which is 86 per cent.

“As a result of high levels of public confidence we expect to see a rise in the reporting of certain crime types. Reporting of sexual offences (up 38.9 per cent) reflects an increase in confidence of victims coming forward.

“Increases in crime recording for crimes such as possession of weapons (up 33.1 per cent), and public order offences (up 31.6 per cent) we attribute to our proactive approach to policing in these areas. There has been a reduction in drug offences (down 4.2 per cent).

“We have worked hard as a Force to improve our response in a number of key crime areas such as rape, sexual offences, modern slavery and domestic violence.

“In recent years we have seen a huge rise in both current and historic reporting in these areas, and I am encouraged that victims are finding the courage to come forward and reach out to us knowing that they will be supported.

“No victim should suffer in silence, and we will continue to work hard to support these people and to give a voice to each and every one of them, regardless if this sees a rise in our crime figures.

“We have also seen significant changes in the way some types of crimes are recorded and categorised. Most significantly this year, harassment taking place online is now recorded as violent crime rather than as a telecommunications offence, which has led to large statistical rises in this category.

“In addition to statistical rises caused by improved crime recording, increased victim confidence to report, and changing crime categories, we believe that we are now starting to see some increases in crime taking place in local communities. Such rises are being reported nationally and are generally being seen for higher-volume, less serious types of crimes.

“It is too early to explain exactly why this is happening, as the reasons are likely to be complex, related to societal factors and influenced by changes to services across the whole public sector over the last few years. We have experienced an unprecedented volume of 999 calls in June 2017, as reflected across the emergency services nationally.

“According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, Devon and Cornwall Police came out as first out of 42 Forces in seven out of eight categories which were; overall confidence, reliability, respect, fair treatment, community understanding, community priorities and police dealing with crime.

“The perceived risk of becoming a victim of crime (personal) is the third lowest in the country and perceived risk of crime (household) is fourth lowest. This shows that residents feel safe in our area.”

DCC Netherton added: “Although the police and Criminal Prosecution Service (CPS) work closely together, the decision whether or not to prosecute sits with the CPS. Approximately 20 per cent of crimes recorded in Devon and Cornwall result in a criminal justice outcome, which is just over the national level of 17 per cent.

“Whilst we will endeavour to see this number increase, convictions of the guilty are not the only important outcomes for victims. Some victims seek protection from violence or threats of violence and have been safeguarded and professional support provided even though they have not supported a prosecution. We currently provide safeguarding to 44.5 per cent of victims of a crime where no suspect has been identified.

“I am confident that not only are my staff and officers working hard to protect and serve the public of Devon and Cornwall, but that this part of the country continues to remain a safe place to live, work, and visit, and that the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime is still very low.”

Crime figures for the Force are released on our website and can be found at: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/your-right-to-information/our-people/our-performance/crime-figures/ .

Alan Quick