Huge increase in crime

Possession of weapons offences increased by 65%

Recorded crime in the Borough rose by 29%, with 25,997 incidents recorded between September 2016 and September 2017 – 8% of all crimes recorded in Greater Manchester, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

The rise in the Rochdale borough 

• Criminal damage and arson (15%)
• Domestic burglary (18%)
• Homicide (67%)
• Possession of weapons offences (65%)
• Public order offences (124%)
• Robbery (34%)
• Sexual offences (41%)
• Shoplifting (5%)
• Vehicle offences (6%)
• Violence with and without injury (22%, 62%)
• Bicycle theft (21%)
• Theft from the person (10%)
• All other theft offences (11%)
• Miscellaneous crimes against society (56%). 

The only locally-recorded crimes to decrease from the previous year were non-domestic burglary, which dropped by 18%, and drug offences, which fell by 16%. 

Crime across Greater Manchester rose by almost half that of the previous year – more than anywhere else in the country.

Crime in the region rose by 41% to the year ending September 2017, almost triple the national average of 15%.

Alarmingly, 49% of total recorded crime (excluding fraud) in the north west occurred in Greater Manchester (323,671 of 659,882 incidents). All crimes, excluding drug offences, were higher here than any other region in the north west. Drug offences, which actually fell by one percent in Greater Manchester, were highest in Merseyside.

The largest rise in crime was an increase of 186% in public order offences (42,740), followed by a 102% increase in stalking or harassment (18,456). Possession of weapons offences rose by double the national figure with a 56% increase with 2,370 recorded incidents.

There was a staggering surge in violent crimes: violence against the person rose by 61%, violence without injury by 78% and violence with injury by 25%.

13% of homicides were reported in Greater Manchester, which rose by 80% locally with 83 recorded incidents. Almost half of all sexual offences were recorded in the north west were reported in Greater Manchester, with 8,647 incidents. This was a 46% increase from the previous year.

Spikes were also recorded for burglary (20%), theft (18%), robbery (55%), vehicle offences (25%), bicycle theft (17%), theft from the person (10%) and shoplifting (8%). Other theft offences recorded rose by 18%, as did criminal damage and arson, and miscellaneous crimes against society increased by 71%.

Figures released separately show the highest prevalence of fraud in the north west was also recorded in Greater Manchester: 10,836 offences were recorded between October 2016 to September 2017 – a 23% increase on the previous year.