Crime in the area covered by Gwent Police has seen an 11% drop.
The latest crime figures released by the Home Office show the drop was the biggest fall in recorded fall in crime in England and Wales.
The 11% decrease was the joint biggest drop with Thames Valley, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Police.
The figures, which looks at data for the 12 months to September 20011 as compared with 12 months ending September 2010, reveal there were 5,109 fewer crimes committed. This equates to around 14 fewer crimes being committed per day in Gwent.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Prince said: “We continue to make excellent progress in tackling and preventing crime and increasing people’s confidence in the service we provide. “The reduction is down to a real team effort. This continued downward trend would not be possible without the hard work and dedication officers and staff, our partners agencies and, most importantly, the residents of Gwent who support us and help us with our work.
“This continued fall has been achieved with fewer staff, and at a time when we’ve had less resources. Gwent Police now has a reputation as one of the fastest improving in the country, and we intend to build on this success.”
Key drops in crime
- Dwelling burglary down by 26% or 830 fewer victims
- Vehicle crime – down 20% or 1436 fewer victims
- Criminal Damage – down 17% or 1743 fewer victims
- Robbery – down by 14% or 29 fewer victims
- Violence against the person – down 8% or 672 fewer victims
Assistant Chief Constable Prince added: “The continued reduction in burglaries is very positive news as we know the effect burglaries can have on families. We continue to target those who are responsible for these crimes and have had some notable successes over the last 12 months.
“A further reduction in violence against the person is also welcome news. The 8% decrease shows that initiatives such as increased checks at licensed premises and devoting more resources to town centres at night are working.
“The Home Office figures also reveal a 9% increase in the public who agree that Gwent Police ‘are dealing with local concerns’ – 48.5% to 57.8%. This is a very welcome improvement and an indication that the public are recognising the hard work and effort officers and staff are making.
“To summarise while we are pleased that the latest figures show another drop in crime we are not at all complacent. We know we still have a lot of work to do, and in the current financial climate our work will be even more difficult. This is a challenge we are willing to accept and we will continue to provide a service which makes a real difference to people’s lives.”
Cilla Davies, Chair of Gwent Police Authority, said: “On behalf of Gwent Police Authority I pay tribute to the continued hard work and dedication of Gwent officers and staff. The continued reduction in crime is warmly welcomed, especially at a time when the Force is facing some significant financial challenges.”
“We will continue to work closely with the Chief Officer team and challenge them to continue to improve performance.”