New figures reveal increase in crime

The number of people caught with guns and knives in Sunderland has increased by almost a third, according to the latest police recorded crime statistics.

There were 248 weapons possession offences between April 2017 and March 2018, according to data by the Office for National Statistics. These can include handguns, knives and even corrosive acid.

That figure is up 30.5% on 2016-17, when 190 incidents were recorded.

Overall, police recorded crime in Sunderland increased significantly in 2017-18.

During the last year 32,496 crimes were recorded, up by 30% on 2016-17. That means there was a rate of 117 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2017-18, above the England and Wales average of 82.

There were 1,359 residential burglaries reported in Sunderland. Due to a change in how the ONS categorises burglaries, the localised figure cannot be compared with other years.

There have been six homicides, which are murders or manslaughters. There was one case of death or injury by dangerous driving.

Theft, one of the most high volume crimes, has increased by 7%. Drugs-related offences dropped by 11.1%.

Assistant Chief Constable Ged Noble, of Northumbria Police, said: “As a force, there can be no doubt that we face significant challenges in terms of funding and understanding new emerging threats, and it is important to acknowledge that we have seen an actual increase in some crime types.

“We remain as committed as ever to tackling those types of offences to ensure the public feel safe and perpetrators are brought to justice.”