Murders at their lowest level for nearly 20 years

Murders and manslaughters in Greater Manchester are at their lowest level for nearly 20 years.

There were 35 killings recorded in Greater Manchester in 2009/10, a drop of 58.3 percent when compared with the number of murders at the turn of the millennium.

In the past year, there have been 31 murders and four manslaughters across the region, which compares to 73 murders and 11 manslaughters in 1999/00.

It is the lowest level since 1990/91 when there were 23 murders in Greater Manchester.

The murder detection rate for 2009/10 is 96.8 percent.

The figures, released today by Greater Manchester Police, compliment the announcement earlier this month that overall crime in the region is at its lowest level for 10 years.

The results for the year from April 2009 to March 2010 show there have been 35,901 fewer victims of crime due to a 12.7 percent reduction in crime across the region. It shows the impact operations, initiatives and changes to policing are having by cutting crime in major categories.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: "This is a significant reduction for Greater Manchester Police and reflects the hard work our officers have been doing over the past few years to make our communities a safer place to live.

"It is important to note that when we talk about murders, we are talking about a whole range of different types whether it be the result of gun or knife crime, violence in the home or alcohol-induced violence on the streets.

"Thanks to the Policing Pledge, Greater Manchester Police has been working hard to ensure its focus is on front line policing, keeping officers visible in neighbourhoods where they are most effective. This is helping to both reduce violent crime and make the communities of Greater Manchester safer.

"We have achieved dramatic reductions in the number of firearms discharges and have also made huge strides in encouraging victims of domestic abuse to speak out before it is too late, offering them support and advice to break that cycle of violence before someone is tragically killed.

"We couldn't achieve any of these reductions without information and people in the community play an important role in this. There still remains a number of undetected murders that people do hold important information on and are key in helping us to solve them. I'd urge them to support their community by talking to us about what they know."

Firearms discharges have fallen by 58 percent in the last two years. The 61 discharges last year saw the lowest number of firearms discharges across Greater Manchester since records began in 2003.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Shenton, head of GMP⿿s Serious Crime Division, added: "The drop in the number of murders sits alongside the huge reductions we have achieved in gun crime, which is thanks to our anti-gun crime taskforce Xcalibre working hard alongside the communities, partners and the Greater Manchester Police Authority in removing guns from our streets and bringing those involved in gun crime to justice.

"We've also seen some significant sentences being given out, which I hope is acting as a true deterrent to those thinking of getting involved in this type of criminality. Locking away some of the major players has most certainly had a massive impact on making our streets safer, but we're not the only ones to have contributed to this huge reduction.

"The communities themselves and local authorities are working extremely hard to educate, support and provide direction and intervention programmes for young people, in particular those at risk of being drawn into this lifestyle, to help them make positive life decisions and provide longer-term solutions."