REPORTED CRIMES in County Durham and Darlington increased over the past year, according to the latest Performance Report from Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner, Ron Hogg.
The report indicates that the number of reported victim-based crimes rose by 32%, whilst levels of anti-social behaviour reduced by 11% over the twelve months to March 2018.
At the same time, residents of Durham and Darlington have greater confidence in the Police than almost anywhere else in the country. 84% of people agree that ‘taking everything into account I have confidence in the police’, whilst Durham is rated higher than any other force for ‘community understanding’.
Commenting on the report, Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner Ron Hogg said “There have been real increases in crimes such as theft, robbery and arson, but the increase is also due to changes to the national requirements for crime recording: more incidents such as harassment are now recorded as crimes, for example.
He added “The Sunday Times reported last weekend that Durham has the highest ‘solved rate’ for crimes of any force in England and Wales, mainly because of the Constabulary’s on-going commitment to neighbourhood policing. Victims of crime can be confident to come forward and report their experiences, knowing that the Force will take them seriously”.
The number of Police Officers in County Durham and Darlington has dropped by 400 Officers since 2010, following reductions in Government funding. Ron continues to call on the Government to ensure that Police have the resources they need to protect the public.
Ron’s Public Performance Report is available on his website at www.durham-pcc.gov.uk  Further crime prevention advice is available on the Durham Constabulary website at www.durham.police.uk