Rise in stalking and harassment in Cornwall - up by around 24% in a year
Police recorded almost 12,000 incidents of violent crime in the 12 months to December 2020
Last updated 14th May 2021
Violent crime has risen in Cornwall over the last year, despite an overall drop in recorded offences.
Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 11,852 incidents of violent crime in Cornwall in the 12 months to December, according to the Office for National Statistics.
That was an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.
At 20.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 30.
One of the main factors behind the increase in Cornwall was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 24%, from 2,814 incidents to 3,495.
Offences of violence without injury were recorded 4,034 times, an increase of 2% on the previous year, and violence with injury on 4,305 occasions, down by 9%.
There were six homicides, which include murders and manslaughters, up by four on the previous 12 months.
Overall, police recorded 8% fewer crimes across England and Wales - there were around 5.6 million offences in the year to December.
The ONS said the annual drop was mainly driven by a “substantial fall” in crime of 15% between April and June as the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.
While police-recorded crimes increased from July to September as restrictions were gradually eased, they fell again in the last three months of the year as lockdown measures were reimposed, it added.
Sophie Sanders, of the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "There were fluctuations in the level of crime experienced in England and Wales throughout 2020.
"Although a small proportion of these fluctuations will be the result of seasonal effects on crime trends, the majority can be attributed to the introduction and subsequent easing of national lockdown restrictions throughout the year.
"Most crime types have seen recorded offences fall year-on-year. The notable exceptions are drug offences, because of proactive police activity in crime hotspots during the first lockdown, while violence against the person also saw a small increase".
Sophie Sanders, Office for National Statistics
What are the overall crime figures for Cornwall?
The total number of offences in Cornwall fell by 5%, with police recording 26,487 crimes over the course of the year.
This puts the overall crime rate at 46.5 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 80.8.
Other crimes recorded in Cornwall included:
1,266 sexual offences, a rise of 3%
5,315 theft offences, down 28%
4,152 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 5%
1,167 drug offences, up 19%
306 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 18%
1,736 public order offences, up 1%
Crest Advisory, a criminal justice consultancy, said it is not surprising that crime patterns were "hugely affected" by the unprecedented restrictions of the pandemic.
But it noted that drug offences across England and Wales rose by 15% and there was a 7% increase in the number of domestic abuse-related offences recorded by police in 2020.
Danny Shaw, head of strategy and insight at the organisation, added: "The rise in drugs offences was principally due to greater police activity in tackling dealers and organised crime gangs, who were also easier to spot with fewer people out on the street.
"The increase in reports of domestic abuse may well be linked to lockdown, when people in abusive relationships were forced to spend long periods together".
Danny Shaw, Crest Advisory
You can read the full figures for Cornwall here.
Across the Devon and Cornwall force area, overall crime was down by 9.2% in the 12 months to 2020.
There were significant falls in most crime types - particularly victim-based crimes such as residential burglary (-26.5%), theft from a person (-51.4%) and shoplifting (-34%), with a pleasing reduction in violence with injury which was down -12.5%.
An increase in the number of drug offences (+13.3%) and possession of weapons (+12.2%) offences, where an offence is only recorded when a crime is detected or prevented, shows police continued to target criminals that blight communities despite the stresses that the coronavirus pandemic placed on the force.
The figures show the Devon and Cornwall is currently the third safest place in England and Wales with 52.3 crimes per 1,000 of population.
Re-elected Police and Crime Commissioner. Alison Hernandez, said: "Crime has continued to fall during my first term of office and I am elated to have been given another three years during which time I want to see us get to number one.
"I want to work with our communities and the chief constable to become so intolerant of crime and create an environment so hostile to criminals that we stay at number one as well.
"I know that's ambitious, but I look forward to addressing the community's priorities in my next Police and Crime Plan. As we emerge from the pandemic I am heartened by the resilience that our communities have shown and how well Devon and Cornwall Police has engaged with the public, and I intend to build on this approach over the next three years".
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner