Crime continues to fall across Rochdale

Chief Superintendent John O'Hare.

Crime levels in Rochdale have fallen. Figures from the first quarter of the year (1 April to 30 June 2011) show that crime levels in Rochdale continue to fall when compared to the same period last year.

There were 563 fewer crime victims, an 11 per cent drop, 47 fewer victims of burglary, a 12 per cent drop, 189 fewer vehicle crimes, a 31 per cent drop, and eight fewer serious violent crimes, a drop of 15 per cent.

There were also 99 fewer incidents of criminal damage, a 10 per cent drop, and antisocial behaviour was reduced by a quarter with 1,178 fewer incidents.

These figures continue the trend shown in the Home Office end of year crime statistics which were released nationally this week.

They show that from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, police helped to reduce overall crime in the borough by 10 per cent compared to the previous year, equating to 2,186 fewer victims.

Moreover, there were 483 fewer vehicle crimes, a drop of 19 per cent, 106 fewer serious violent crimes, a 40 per cent drop, 156 fewer hate crimes, a reduction of 33 per cent, and 91 fewer robberies, a 22 per cent reduction.

Antisocial behaviour was also reduced, with 2,770 fewer incidents compared to the previous year, a 16 per cent fall.

Officers say the reduction in overall crime has been due to neighbourhood policing teams responding to the issues that concern the public and targeting a relatively small number of prolific criminals.

That said, the figures show that the number of burglaries increased last year by 18 per cent, with 298 more incidents.

Chief Superintendent John O’Hare said: “We managed to cut crime in so many areas last year, and I am delighted that these trends have continued into the first quarter of this year. This is testament not only to the skill and dedication of my officers, but also the contribution of partner agencies like the council and members of the public. It is very much a shared success.

“Although we are disappointed with the burglary figures, we are doing everything in our power to drive them back down. We are currently running our Secure Summer campaign which is aimed at preventing burglaries, arresting offenders and gathering intelligence, and over the last seven weeks we have arrested 75 people.

“Between July 2010 and June 2011 my officers made 8,305 arrests, and are working tirelessly to track down those responsible for crime. I feel strongly that criminals should never benefit financially from their actions, and in the last 12 months we have recovered £387,000 from illegal enterprises.

“Lastly, I want to reassure the people of Rochdale that we will continue to do all we can to keep this borough safe, and would urge them to keep contacting us with information, as working together is the best way of reducing crime.”