Rising number of crimes recorded
We will stand together to stop this sort of prejudice Assistant Chief Constable Ged Noble
CRIMES recorded in the North East have soared by 27 per cent in the past year.
The increase was one of the sharpest in England and Wales, newly released crime data shows.
There were 214,199 crimes recorded by Northumbria and Durham police in the 12 months to March, or one every two minutes.
Sexual offences were up 30 and 50 per cent in Northumbria and Durham respectively, robbery up 2 and 49 per cent and vehicle crime up 15 and 26 per cent.
There was one crime committed for every 10 people in the two force areas, a higher rate than the one in 12 across England and Wales.
Crime was up 31 per cent in Durham and 23 per cent in Northumbria.
A Northumbria spokesperson said: “That rise can be attributed to a number of factors, including an improvement in police crime recording processes and a greater confidence among victims of sexual and domestic abuse to come forward and report incidents.”
The force’s assistant chief constable Ged Noble added: “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.”
Dame Vera Baird QC, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Today’s announcement shows that our message is getting through – if you are the victim of a crime, report it. Northumbria Police will do everything they can to support you.
“I’m pleased local residents have the confidence to report a crime, and these figures are clear proof of that.
“We continue to reach out to those affected hard to report crimes, such as domestic abuse and rape, signalling that our message to victims that they will be believed is indeed making an impact.
“The data also shows that Northumbria remains a safe place to live and work. The risk of household crime in our force area is the lowest since records began in 2007 and the lowest of all forces in England and Wales.
“My message is clear, if you are a victim of crime – report it.”
A Durham Constabulary spokeswoman said: “A rise in reported crime reflects a national drive from HMIC for improved compliance around National Crime Recording Standards.
“The rise in reported sexual offences can also be attributed to victims having greater confidence to come forward and report to police.
“There is also a large number of historic cases coming to light.
“Ensuring each crime is recorded accurately and gaining a satisfactory outcome for the victim is at the heart of everything we do.
“We will continue to deliver an outstanding service to victims and will ensure we record crimes in line with national legislation.”
Overall police recorded crime was up 13 per cent in England and Wales, while knife crime was up 16 per cent.
Meanwhile NHS data shows a 15 per cent rise in people admitted to hospital after being assaulted with a knife.
Authorities measure crime in two ways - by the number of offences recorded by the police as well as using victim surveys carried out by the Office for National Statistics.
These victim surveys have shown that crime has generally fallen since a peak in the mid-1990s.
According to the crime survey most types of crime stayed a similar rate to last year, although vehicle-related thefts rose while crimes involving computers fell.