Police hit three of 17 targets

Greater Manchester Police Force hit only three of its 17 targets during the past financial year.

In the first three months, officers beat the target when it came to cutting robberies in general, of cash-in-transit raids and thefts from financial institutions.

The force was off-target by more than 10 per cent in seven areas — for cutting and detecting both serious violent crime and domestic burglaries, detecting assaults, hate crime and serious sexual crime.

Figures for Oldham show the detection rate for all crime was 4 per cent below the 25 per cent target, which meant 229 more cases remain unsolved than if the target had been reached. Detection of domestic burglaries stood at 11 per cent — below the 16 per cent target — or 21 cases.

Detection of robberies in Oldham, however, was 50 per cent above the 20 per cent target, at 30 per cent (10 cases), but detection for vehicle crime was 50 per cent below the 10 per cent target (45 cases).

Assault detections were below target — a total of 35 per cent, instead of 42 per cent (27 cases), and 409 domestic burglaries were solved, which is 29 below target.

Assaults were down from 405 last year to 372 this year, but still three above target, and figures for the most serious violent crimes soared to 111 this year, from 86 last year, and 20 above the target.

Detection rate for serious violent crimes stood at 32.4 per cent, which was below the 34.5 per cent target, but above the 30 per cent recorded last year.

There was one firearm discharge in Oldham, compared to four from April to June last year, and the target for the three months was 1.5, and two robberies of financial institutions - half of the target.

There were no cash or valuables in transit robberies in Oldham in either of the two periods under scrutiny.

Detection for crimes arising from domestic violence stood at 40 per cent in Oldham, eight cases less than the 43 per cent target, and detection for hate crimes was at 32.8 per cent — one case below the 33 per cent target, but up on last year’s figure of 28.3 per cent.