Rise in overall crime according to figures – with increase in violence and sexual offences
Figures have shown a rise in overall crime for the West Mercia area.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the number of crimes recorded in the 12 months up to December last year.
For West Mercia overall recorded crime has gone up by six per cent compared to the previous 12 months – with a nine per cent rise in violent crime, and a 17 per cent rise in sexual offences.
Public order crimes have also seen a significant spike on the previous 12 months, up by 38 per cent, although it is possible this has been impacted by the comparison to periods affected by Covid restrictions where the number of people attending hospitality venues was down on normal levels.
West Mercia has seen notable success in tackling drug and weapons offences, down 12 and eight per cent respectively.
Robbery and burglary offences are also down in comparison with the previous year, falling by 10 and 14 per cent respectively.
Dyfed Powys Police has also seen a rise in overall crime, up 27 per cent on the previous year, while violent crime was also up by 38 per cent.
Like West Mercia the force reported a rise in sexual offences, up 24 per cent.
Burglary was however down by eight per cent, but there was a huge rise in both theft from a person, by 76 per cent, and public order offences – by 75 per cent.
Drug offences in the force area were down by 16 per cent, and possession of weapon crimes down by 21 per cent.
Across the country forces have seen a rise in the number of sexual offences – with the total logged reaching record levels.
The figures show that police-recorded sexual offences reached their highest level in a 12-month period – 183,587 – in the year to December 2021.
This was a 22 per cent increase on 2020, when there were 150,748, and is up 13 per cent from the 163,067 in 2019.
Numbers of crimes recorded were lower during lockdowns but there have been "substantial increases since April 2021", according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Some 37 per cent of sexual offences recorded, 67,125, were rapes – a 21 per cent rise from 55,592 in the 12 months to December 2020.
The ONS said the latest statistics may reflect a "number of factors", including the "impact of high-profile incidents, media coverage and campaigns on people's willingness to report incidents to the police, as well as a potential increase in the number of victims".
The ONS said: "Since restrictions were lifted following the third national lockdown in early 2021, police-recorded crime data show indications that certain offence types are returning to or exceeding the levels seen before the pandemic.
"While violence and sexual offences recorded by the police have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, theft offences and robbery remain at a lower level despite increases over the last nine months."
