Crime has declined by 7.3 per cent in Wiltshire, the equivalent of some 3,300 fewer victims, according to the latest figures released by The Office for National Statistic amid allegations that police forces fiddle their figures.
That puts the county ahead of the other police forces in England where overall crime was reduced by only 4.5 per cent during the period September 2012 to September 2013 compared with the previous year.
And while acknowledging complaints that police forces manipulate their statistics, Wiltshire’s Chief Constable Pat Geenty told Marlborough News Online he is confident in the validity of the statistics.
“Recently there has been much debate about the validity of police crime statistics and I appreciate that this would be a matter of concern to the public,” he said.
“I am confident that Wiltshire has an authentic performance management system which includes scrutiny of data integrity, measurement and recording practices. Cautions are included in our crime statistics. Basically, anything that is a crime is recorded so therefore cautions form part of all our statistics.
“We have also instigated a performance culture review to ensure that we understand how strategic performance aims affect officers on the front line.”
The Chief Constable added: “I have made to it clear to my officers and staff that I do not want a performance driven force. Our focus is on delivering an effective service, where the public can feel confident in Wiltshire Police’s integrity and the treatment they receive.
“We continue to work with the Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson to keep crime down in the county.”
Public concern about the validity of police figures has been echoed by Commissioner Macpherson, who told Marlborough News Online: “I am conscious that there is a growing public debate about the reliability of police crime recording.
“I am very supportive of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which is to review and audit locally recorded crime. With HMIC’s expertise and national perspective, I believe they have an important job to do in ensuring the validity of crime recording.”
The Wiltshire police force is the sixth lowest nationally for overall crime and is fourth lowest for dwelling burglary rates and sixth lowest for robbery crimes.
The statistics also show the overarching success of Operation Harness, and Operation Atlantic in Swindon, in tackling drug crime. Due to this targeted proactive strategy Wiltshire has seen a 19.6 per cent increase in drug crime offences. This is an illustration of how police continue to tackle drug crime in our county with great success.
However, there has been a small reduction of 0.7 per cent of violence against the person. Sexual offences have increased by 12.2 per cent – a total of 18 victims during the year — which is due to changes in recording practices and also attributed to high profile cases with multiple victims during the reporting period.
This compares with a 17 per cent increase in reported sexual offences nationally, which may reflect that more victims are willing to come forward and report crime.
Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police remain committed to tackling night time economy issues and encouraging victims of domestic violence to come forward to enable the police to continue to understand and reduce violence within the county.
The figures have been applauded by Commissioner Macpherson while pointing out that they are not comprehensive.
“I am pleased that there have been 3,300 fewer victims of crime in our area and that there is now a stable downward trend in terms of overall crime,” he told Marlborough News Online.
“However we need to bear in mind that these figures do not include crimes such as online scams and other such offences reported to Action Fraud.
“I applaud the constabulary for its proactive work on the illegal drugs trade. The sharp increase in recorded drugs offences highlights the excellent work being done at a local level to crack down on street dealing.
“There may be some connection between the increase in so-called private space violence and greater confidence in reporting domestic violence.
“I think the involvement of Wiltshire Police in initiatives such as Clare’s Law and Domestic Violence Protection Orders has helped to encourage victims to come forward. The publicity around Jimmy Savile has also shown that victims will now be listened to and supported when they step forward to report a sexual offence.”
And he adds: “I have raised my concerns with the Chief Constable about non-dwelling burglaries – that’s offences such as shed, garage and barn break-ins. The figures show there has been an improvement, but Wiltshire is still in the bottom half of the league table in England.
“I am conscious that there is a growing public debate about the reliability of police crime recording. I am very supportive of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which is to review and audit locally recorded crime. With HMIC’s expertise and national perspective, I believe they have an important job to do in ensuring the validity of crime recording.
“During my Victims’ Voice consultations in February and March I will be asking victims about their experience of reporting crime and how confident they felt that the offence was accurately recorded.”
Marlborough Castle, by David Du Croz
