Police urge public to stay vigilant out of lockdown
Police have welcomed a fall in overall crime reports in the West Mercia region during lockdown but have warned people to remain vigilant.
Figures released last week showed that the number of reported crimes fell by more than 10 per cent in 2020 but some types of crime, including bicycle theft and harassment, actually rose.
Chief Inspector Mark Reilly of West Mercia Police said: “We have seen an overall reduction in crime during the pandemic but have plans in place to ensure we are prepared for any increase in particular areas as lockdown lifts.
“Burglaries from people’s homes have seen a reduction during the pandemic, which is to be expected with more people working from home and fewer people leaving the house.
“Similarly, with demand for bicycles increasing last summer as people took to cycling more during lockdown, there was a corresponding rise in bicycle thefts. We regularly organise bike marking events across our force area to help protects people’s property.
“We are doing all we can to tackle the crime of stalking and harassment, ensuring we have the resources to deal with reports of both physical and online harassment.
Security
“As we move out of lockdown and start to leave our homes more to spend time with friends and family, we encourage people to take an extra few minutes before leaving the house to ensure all their windows are firmly closed and doors locked, particularly as we head into warmer weather.
“We want people to remember Hands, Face, Space, Fresh Air, but it’s important to close those windows and doors again when leaving the house or business site.”
Last week's figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that reports of crime in West Mercia were down 13 per cent in the 12 months to December 2020 – the biggest drop of any police force in the West Midlands.
West Mercia Police, which covers Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, saw a huge drop in reports of theft against the person (48 per cent) though instances of bicycle theft actually rose by six per cent.
show a five per cent drop in crimes of violence against the person, though within that bracket is the 12 per cent rise in stalking and harassment offences.
Sexual offences fell by six per cent, robbery by 18 per cent and theft by 28 per cent. Residential burglaries dropped by 22 per cent and non-residential burglaries by 29 per cent.
Criminal damage and arson reports fell by 15 per cent but drug offences rose by 16 per cent.
