The Gwent Police force area saw the biggest reduction in crime across England and Wales last year, new figures suggest.
Overall, crime fell by 17% according to the latest official Home Office figures.
Ian Johnston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, welcomed the fall but said more could still be done.
He said: “I welcome the reductions in crimes recorded but more importantly in the reduction in victims as well. I congratulate officers and partners on working together to achieve this.
“However the decrease in public confidence is concerning. Service delivery and putting victims at the heart of everything we do is my priority. I will continue to challenge the force as I believe there are improvements to be made to increase satisfaction of communities and in the way local police in their area are dealing with things that matter to them.
“While numbers of victims are decreasing, last year there was still nearly 35,000 victims in Gwent. This is still too many and I believe we can improve. My priority is not only to reduce the numbers of victims but also to make sure we work with partners and make most efficient use of resources to provide them with the best service we possibly can.”
The figures, which look at the 12 months to December 2012 and compares them to the 12 months up to December 2011, show a total of 34,436 crimes were committed during the latest period as compared to 41,481 in the previous period.
This means that overall there are over 7,000 fewer victims of crime, or around 18 fewer crimes per day.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Paul Symes, said: “I’m pleased that during this period of time, we have seen less victims of crime.
“The reduction is as always down to a real team effort with dedicated and committed police officers and police staff working closely with the public and an array of partners such as Neighbourhood Watch, local authorities and others to achieve this.”
He added: “My priority is not only to reduce the numbers of victims but also to make sure we work with partners and make most efficient use of resources to provide them with the best service we possibly can.”
don`t believe word of it, we have been reading that crime in Gwent is reduced year on year, for the last five years, and at this rate the Gwent police will, either, have to come up with some other way of collating their statistics, or, we will be CRIME FREE in less than six years.
Gwent Police have to be encouraged to continue in the way they are going, and, by 2018/19 Gwent will really be the place to raise a family free from external criminal influences on their children, for pensioners to live a peaceful existence free from the stresses of low level street anti social behaviour, and for pubs and clubs to stay open until god knows what time of the day and night and all the customers go home, quietly, peacefully, beer bottle and glass free, and not knocking seven shades of whatever out of each other, damaging cars or braking the odd window here and there, roll on the day, but, I DON`T BELIEVE A WORD OT IT.
This would tie in with findings that south Wales was/is one of the more peaceful places to live.
Interestingly figures from emergency departments as opposed to police statistics also back up the findings that violent crime is decreasing.
The official crime survey which relies upon perceptions and includes unreported crimes, also reaffirms a drop in crime figures.
Whilst the evidence might support the figures, figures alone do nothing to reduce the myopic viewpoint of an increased risk. The bigger the reductions in crime levels the greater an issue the fear of crime becomes.
Good news. Congratulations not only to the Gwent Constabulary but also to the parents within the community who must be having a positive influence on their children’s behaviour.