Police force slashes crime by 40 per cent

A police force has slashed city centre crime by a staggering 40 per cent over the last ten years, new figures revealed.

Total recorded crimes in central Bristol have fallen by 33,351 to 50,595, the lowest level since comprehensive records began 22 years ago.

Burglary, car-related theft and robberies are down by an incredible 73 per cent.

There were 738 fewer vicitms of violent crime, including sexual offences, in 2010/11 than the year before when 13,613 were recorded.

Bristol district commander John Long said the success is down to combination of factors.

”The drive down of crime is not just about the police,” he said. ”It’s about communities not tolerating crime and agencies and partnerships working together, in the private sector, commercial sector and voluntary sector.

”It is certainly a much safer city than it was three years ago, and we are actually seeing the lowest crime levels since we started recording crimes in this way.

”I am looking forward to the point when the total crime figure for Bristol will fall below 50,000 for the first time.”

In 2010/11, there were 50,595 crimes in the city, down seven per cent on the previous year’s count of 53,915.

Mr Long added: ”Crime is committed by offenders. We are bringing more people to justice and learning more about our offenders by identifying them and working with them in a number of ways.

”Because we are focusing more on them and we know who they are, we can target them wherever they happen to be.

”Rehabilitation is also vital. Bristol is now seen as a market-leading city in terms of its approach to the rehabilitation agenda and prolific offender management.”

The force has hailed its Impact project where police, probation, the prison service, Bristol Drugs Project, Youth Offending Team and councils managing prolific offenders together.

Drug offences rose in Bristol however from 2,405 in 2009/10 to 2,614 in 2010/11, which Mr Long puts down to the frequent raids on cannabis factories and class A dealers carried out by drug squads across the force.

He also believes with the city council on licensing enforcement and having taxi marshals in the city centre at night, it has become safer as violent crime has fallen.

Mr Long said: ”I’m a resident of the city centre myself, and when I walk round there these days I see people of all ages walking around and enjoying themselves and the city.”

He believes technology, such as DNA advances, Automatic Number Plate Recognition and increased use and quality of CCTV, has helped over the last decade.

Meanwhile, crime-specific operations such as Operation Bluestone, which targets sexual offences, and a dedicated burglary team have also contributed in driving crime down.