Crime in Wiltshire down 7% according to new data
Wiltshire now has the lowest crime numbers in England and Wales
It's been revealed that Wiltshire is the safest county in England and Wales, according to new crime data from the Office of National Statistics.
The figures for the year ending June 2024, show a 7% reduction in crime with 3,000 fewer crimes being recorded in the county.
The report shows 53.9 crimes per 1,000 people in the Wiltshire Police force area were noted, against a national average of 89.1 crimes.
Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Cooper, said the results are encouraging.
"We're encouraged by that performance because we've been driving that really hard within the organisation and I think this is indicative of the hard work of the police officers and staff that have been focused on driving down crime times."
The report shows reductions in recorded crime across in a host of the most serious crime types including:
• Violence against the person: - 10 % (21.6 offences per 1,000 people)
• Robbery: - 33 % (0.3 offences per 1,000 people)
• Theft Offences: - 4 % (15.5 per 1,000 people)
• Burglary: - 8 % (2.3 per 1,000 people)
• Criminal Damage and Arson: - 6 % (6.1 per 1,000 people)
• Drug Offences: - 1 % (1.4 per 1,000 people)
• Public Order offences: - 8% (4.7 per 1,000 people)
But a few crime types saw increases, including a 1% rise in sexual offences.
However, ACC Cooper doesn't see that a negative, rather as more people feeling comfortable reporting serious abuse.
He said: "We've had a real focus around violence against women and girls. We've been very focused in this area. So that may suggest to us that we're seeing an increased confidence in reporting. So that's potentially encouraging story because we are also seeing, increased charges, increased detections and more cases going to court.
The ACC added: "We understand that behind every reported crime there is a victim that and these offences have a significant impact on them that's not lost on us, but just to reiterate, the police officers and staff within Wilshire are committed to doing a fantastic job to continue to drive down crime."
PCC: 'Force must continue building public confidence'
The Police and Crime Commissioner praised the progress being made, but said it's not enough for people in Wiltshire 'to be told they are safe', insisting we must feel that safety in our communities too.
Mr Wilkinson said: “The only way we can do this is to ensure we are continuously working to rebuild public confidence within the force, by working closely with partners and victims themselves.
“We need to ensure that residents are receiving a consistent and high standard of policing service, without this we cannot be confident that recorded crimes covered by these statistics are reflective of the realities our communities are living in.
“We know we cannot eradicate crime completely, but we can continue to make the necessary improvements and build upon this generally positive picture to ensure the public feel safe living, working and visiting Wiltshire.”