Robbery and domestic burglary on the increase

Robbery and domestic burglary is on the increase in Rochdale.

Fears have grown that the credit crunch is making people more likely to commit related crimes because they are strapped for cash.

Figures from Greater Manchester Police show 108 separate robberies between October and December last year, compared with 98 in 2007.

Domestic burglary is up from 475 to 518, and increase of 9.1%.

However, there has been a small drop in vehicle crime, from 775 to 749, a decrease of 3.4%.

Superintendent Martin Greenhalgh from Greater Manchester Police's Rochdale Division said: “Burglary is still an area we are working hard to improve with 43 more victims of burglary compared to the same period in the previous year.

“Although increases were shown in some crime areas, such as robbery, which had only 10 more reported incidents than in the same period in 2007, we would like to reassure the public that robbery does not happen often and that all reported incidents are thoroughly investigated.

“As a division we are having success with vehicle crime, with the 26 fewer victims for this period.

“It is vital to us that we continuously work to make residents feel safe and confident in the quality of service they receive from officers.

“We continue to build and maintain our relationships with people throughout Rochdale and are working towards delivering the Policing Pledge, which gives people a clear minimum standard of service they can expect”.