Crime down in Lancashire, say latest figures - but reports of slavery are up

Crime in Lancashire has fallen in the last year, according to latest figures released - but more cases of slavery have been uncovered.
Crime is down in Lancashire, according to new statisticsCrime is down in Lancashire, according to new statistics
Crime is down in Lancashire, according to new statistics

The statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics, present a 13 per cent reduction in all crime.

Lancashire Police say this is the most significant reduction of all North West forces and compares favourably to the national reduction of nine per cent.

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The figures compare the 12-month period from April 2018 to March 2019 with the corresponding months from 2019 to 2020, in terms of both CSEW (Crime Survey England and Wales) findings and police recorded crime data supplied by the Home Office.

The most significant reductions in the county saw a 45 per cent drop in theft from a person, and a 40 per cent reduction in firearms offences.

The figures also show a 16 per cent reduction in burglary (18 per cent residential burglaries; 13 per cent non-residential) as well as a fall in violence against a person resulting in injury, which includes ABH and GBH (18 per cent) and criminal damage (12 percent).

Peter Lawson, Assistant Chief Constable for Lancashire Police, said: "These findings highlight Lancashire Constabulary’s dedicated work over the past 12 months with increases in neighbourhood policing, targeting cross-border crime with a number of significant arrests and convictions.

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"Behind the figures lie real people with over 1,500 less victims of residential burglary and over 3500 less victims of assault with injury. They are great news for Lancashire and reflect the hard work that has gone into keeping people safe and feeling safe in the county.”

As well as an overall fall in crime figures, there has been an increase in reports of modern slavery, with 41 more cases than the same time last year – which is linked to Lancashire Constabulary’s commitment to human trafficking and modern slavery.

ACC Lawson added: “We are a leading force in the country on dealing with modern slavery and we have done a lot of work in the past 12 months on this subject which has in turn improved public confidence in reporting these crimes to us.”

Commenting, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "I welcome the news that crime has been cut significantly in Lancashire over the last 12 months. The people of Lancashire consistently tell me that they want the police to focus on violent crime, the fact that it has reduced significantly is testament to the hard work that has gone into to tackling the issue.

“I commend the hard work of Lancashire officers in reducing crime so significantly in the last year. Officers do an exceptional job in tough circumstances and should welcome today's news.”