CRIME in North Yorkshire the lowest for 10 years

The CRIME in North Yorkshire is now at the lowest for 10 years and there has been a significant decrease in anti-social behaviour, a report by the chief constable revealed.
As a result, public confidence in the local police service is on the rise, enhanced by partnership work with Safer Neighbourhood Teams according to the force.

As reported earlier in the Whitby Gazette, crime in general in the Whitby area fell by 4 VERTISEMENT

% compared with last year but there was a rise in thefts, criminal damage and other crimes including drug offences. The categories of crime which had fallen in the area included autocrime, burglary and violence.

In a performance review for the financial year 2008/09, Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell and Police Authority chairman Jane Kenyon reported a decrease in crime rates to below 50,000 a year for the first time in a decade.

In addition, with Operation Drystone in full swing, North Yorkshire Police also experienced the sharpest crime reductions in its Most Similar Group of police forces in the fourth quarter of 2008/09.

In the third quarter there were 16.74 crimes per population, compared to 15.15 in quarter four which is a significant reduction in crime. The force now sits in second place in its category and in sixth place nationally.

Incidents of anti-social behaviour were also reduced by 907 in the last financial year, with a total of 49,684 cases recorded.

Mr Maxwell said: “While we still face many challenges and performance can be further improved, I am nevertheless extremely proud of the great strides we have made to drive down crime and make North Yorkshire Police the vital and trusted hub of the communities we serve.”

Coun Jane Kenyon said: “These are excellent results and a tribute to North Yorkshire Police.

“We continue forward on the front foot, working with our partners where possible, consolidating the Safer Neighbourhoods’ philosophy whilst aggressively targeting serious offences.

“This approach should ensure that North Yorkshire remains among the safest places in the country.”