Crime rise is good news, says top West Mercia Police officer

Chief Superintendent Alex Franklin-Smith of West Mercia Police said victims were also showing a greater willingness to come forward.

He said that the increase in recorded crime did not necessarily signify more offences were being committed.

He was speaking after it was revealed by the Office for National Statistics that recorded crime in the force area had risen by 13 per cent, with violent crime up 36 per cent and sexual offences rising by 20 per cent.

But Chief Superintendent Franklin-Smith said: "Increases in recorded crime are affected by a number of factors, including improvements in recording crime practice and increased trust and confidence in reporting by victims.

"A rise in recorded crime is actually positive in areas where we know a crime has previously been under reported.

"For instance, we are finding that a higher proportion of victims of sexual crime, domestic violence and hate crime are now coming forward to report such crimes.

"This is positive as it reflects an increased confidence in the police and allows us to fully investigate these incidents with a view to bringing the offenders to justice.

"An increased focus on protecting the most vulnerable from harm also means that we are successfully identifying and investigating more of these offences.

"Again, while this can lead to an increase in recorded crime, it is important that victims have the confidence to come forward.

"We are not complacent about any crime rises and we will continue to do everything we can to reduce and tackle crime.

"Where crime is reported our priority is to investigate it and do everything in our power to deliver a positive outcome for the victim."

Nationally, the ONS reported that violent crime recorded by police had jumped by a quarter, with rises seen in offences involving the use of knives or firearms.

Forces in England and Wales saw an annual rise of 24 per cent in violence against the person offences for the year ending in June.

Police recorded crimes involving the use of knives or sharp instruments increased by nine per cent, and those involving the use of firearms also rose, by seven per cent, the ONS said.

Alternative picture is revealed in survey of the public

While figures released today show large increases for recorded crime, the results of an alternative survey paint a different picture.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales, which does not have breakdowns of individual forces, said that nationally crime has marginally decreased in the last 12 months.

CSEW, previously known as the British Crime Survey, is a face-to-face survey in which people resident in households in England and Wales are asked about their experiences of crime in the 12 months prior to the interview.

It covers both children aged 10 to 15 and adults aged 16 and over, but does not cover those living in communal establishments (such as care homes, student halls of residence and prisons), or crimes against commercial or public sector bodies.

The CSEW claims to be able to capture a broad range of victim-based crimes experienced by those interviewed, not just those that have been reported to, and recorded by, the police.

Overall, the headline count based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated there were 6.4 million incidents of crime.

The Office for National Statistics said this was not significantly different compared with the previous year's estimate of 6.5 million.

Crime survey estimates showed no significant change in levels of violence compared with the previous year.

Victims experienced about 3.6 million fraud and two million computer misuse offences in the 12 months before interview.

The figures on the two categories are "experimental" but they are set to be included in the crime survey totals for the first time in the next quarterly report.

Figures for the year to June 2016 showed that an estimated seven million adults aged 16 and over were a victim of at least one crime.