13 per cent rise in crime in West Mercia

Knife crime and robbery also increased in the year up to September 2017 compared with the previous year, the Office for National Statistics said.

In the West Mercia area which covers Shropshire, there were 85,433 crimes compared to 75,633 in the previous period.

There was a 16 per cent rise in violent offences and a 23 per cent increase in recorded sexual offences. There were 15 murders in the region which also includes Worcestershire and Herefordshire; the same as in 2016.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said today’s figures were in line with the national picture – and that he was “reassured” more people were coming forward to record crime. He said: “I will continue to ensure that West Mercia Police is working efficiently and effectively to tackle existing and emerging demand, in order to protect our communities.”

Dyfed-Powys also showed a 13 per cent increase in crime, up to 25,067 from 21,942 in 2016. There were 8,665 violent crimes causing injuries in 2017 compared to 6,509 previously and 1,073 sex offences, up 99 from 974. The force handled just one murder case compared to eight in 2016.

Crime has risen – and also gone down

It is a question of interpretation. Crime is either up, or down, depending on the figures you want to believe.

Crime reported to West Mercia Police is up 13 per cent – but, according to a separate survey, crime is down by 10 per cent.

The discrepancy comes because only about 60 per cent of crime committed is ever reported to the police.

While Labour today described the rise in recorded crime as ‘truly shocking’, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion looked to the positives.

He said he was happy that more people appeared to be happy to approach police.

“I am reassured to see recorded crime is on the increase as it shows the improved confidence our communities have in the police,” he said.

“But there is still much more to do. Through my ongoing work around reform, the police are in a better position to respond to demand and address the needs of the public.

“This will continue as I build on what has already been achieved through further investments in technology, closer partnership working such as the proposed changes around fire governance and through grant investments to further understand and tackle the root causes of crime.”

Today’s Office for National Statistics figures for recorded crime show a dramatic rise in some offences. West Mercia Police has seen a 55 per cent increase in reports of domestic burglaries, according the ONS.

The region has seen a 13 per cent rise in overall offences handled to 85,433 offences with harassment and stalking up 24 per cent and public order offences up 15 per cent in the year to September 2017.

Dyfed-Powys Police also recorded a 13 per cent rise in reported offences to 2,057 compared to the previous year including a 26 per cent rise in domestic burglaries, and 1,802 cases of harassment and stalking reported for the same period, although comparable figures were unavailable for 2016.

In neighbouring West Midlands, recorded crimes rose by 14 per cent to 221,774 with rises in murder, domestic burglary and robbery. Staffordshire saw a 13 per cent rise to 82,767. The 43 forces for England and Wales logged a total of 5.3 million crimes in the year ending September 2017, which marks a 14 per cent rise compared to 2016.

There were 37,443 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, which is a 21 per cent rise and the highest since comparable records started in 2011.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd insists that traditional crime has fallen by 40 per cent and also show the most common experienced offences of fraud and computer misuse has reduced by 15 per cent in the past year.

Mr Hurd said: “It is also welcome the police’s recording of crime is improving, and that more victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence are feeling empowered to come forward.

“But we know that some of the increase in police-recorded violent offences is genuine which is why we have taken urgent action to stop these crimes. We will be announcing tough new laws to crack down on acid attacks and knife offences.”

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: “These figures are truly shocking and should put an end to Government complacency on crime.”

Key questions about latest crime figures

The Office for National Statistics has published the latest crime data for England and Wales – and the Crime Survey for England and Wales has provided alternative figures.

Here are some key questions:

What do the figures show?

There are two separate sets of figures. Crime recorded to police was 5.3 million – up 14 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics. The headline estimate according to the CSEW is 10.6 million incidents, which is actually 10 per cent down on the previous 12 months.

What is the difference between the two sources?

The CSEW is a face-to-face survey of 35,000 households in which people are asked about their experiences of crime while police-recorded figures are a simple count of offences logged by forces.

Why are there two sources?

An estimated 60 per cent of offences are never reported to authorities, so since 1981 a large-scale survey has been carried out to gauge people’s experience of crime.

What are the pros and cons of the estimates?

Statisticians say the survey is good at measuring long-term trends and higher-volume offences, but less well suited to measuring less-frequent crimes in the short-term.

What about the police recorded count?

It includes some crimes such as homicide which cannot be covered in a survey, can be a better source for identifying emerging trends and provide a picture of police workloads. But the count can be influenced by changes in recording, policing tactics and willingness of victims to come forward.

Which carries more weight?

The ONS acknowledges both sources have strengths and weaknesses but the crime survey is its preferred measure.

So is crime going up or not?

The ONS says crime levels continued to fall but in some categories, including gun and knife crime, rises in recorded offences are thought to reflect actual increases.