Sexual offences rise across Wiltshire but overall reported crime down 5%
Police say statistics don't tell the whole story
Last updated 28th Jan 2022
New crime figures show that Wiltshire Police had the lowest number of recorded crimes per person across all 42 forces in England and Wales.
The Office for National Statistics has released data for the 12 months to September 2021, with Wiltshire having 52.7 crimes per every 1000 residents. These figures represent a 5% drop in overall recorded crime.
However, the statistics also show that Wiltshire saw an 8% increase in reports of sexual offences and a 12% rise in reported stalking and harassment offences.
'Behind these statistics are real victims of crime'
The Force says it's "cautiously welcoming" the increases. Officers believe they reflect the work done to address the fact that these crimes are often under reported by victims.
Supt Sarah Robbins added: "Whilst we accept that not all crime is reported, we have been working hard to encourage community engagement and trust with our officers in order to reach out to victims.
"We are beginning to see notable success in this regard, as evidenced by increased reporting of stalking and harassment and sexual offences.
"We never forget that behind these statistics are real victims of crime ... we recognise that there is still much work to be done".
'We need you to report crime concerns'
Giving his reaction to the data, Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has urged any residents with crime worries to contact officers.
PCC Philip Wilkinson said: "I am always sceptical when I’m presented with crime statistics, as I have now heard from many residents who no longer report crime concerns to the police, because they’re not confident that anything will be done about it.
"Therefore, it’s difficult to celebrate a reported reduction in crime when we don’t have the full picture, and many continue to suffer in silence.
"We need you to report crime concerns to ensure that we have a complete picture of criminal activity in Wiltshire and officers are deployed to where they’re most needed".