Stockton assault victim says more should be done to keep crime down
Figures released yesterday found that reports of violent crimes like assault have increased by more than 50%
The victim of an unprovoked assault says more money needs to be spent on our police forces to keep us safe.
New figures reveal that violent crimes against a person, like assault, were up by 56 per cent in Teesside from the previous year.
Cleveland Police received almost 9,785 reports of these crimes in the last 12 months.
Another area of crime which saw an increase in reports was sexual crime, where the force saw a rise of 64 per cent.
For 23-year-old Jamie from Stockton, it raises concerns about how stretched our police forces are.
Two years ago, he suffered a broken jaw in an unprovoked attack in Seaton Carew - his attacker was never found.
He said: "If the person who assaulted me knew that there was a regular police patrol in that area then they might not have committed that crime.
"Once you've been a victim of violent crime, it never really ends.
"You don't look at people the same way anymore, because you think I was assaulted for not really doing anything, could it happen again in the future.
"Hopefully that would be concern that the police would address but clearly the statistics show it's not being addressed properly."
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine said: “It is of the utmost importance that we protect our communities, recognise vulnerable victims and keep victims at the heart of what we do.
“Largely, the rise in statistics for some crime categories, such as violent crime, is because of national and local efforts to improve the accuracy crime recording.
"The introduction of offences such as malicious communications, which includes harassment on social media, has also impacted on overall figures. “Over a year ago it was highlighted nationally that there was a need to improve the way we record crimes.
"This is important as it ensures that victims are correctly identified and it ensures that they receive the support that they need.
“We are absolutely committed to protecting vulnerable people and actively encourage the reporting of sexual offences.
“Tackling crime and the causes of crime must absolutely be reflected in partnership working. “Providing a professional, high quality service for our communities is our core role and this will continue despite the challenges we face in tackling crime.”