Crime's Down In Hampshire

Crime is down across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for the fifth year in a row and police are solving more offences.

Between April 2011 and March 2012 there were 129,327 offences, a drop of three per cent compared with the previous year. 

Police solved 31 per cent of crimes, an increase from 28 per cent. 

The figures come following a year of significant change for the constabulary and Chief Constable Alex Marshall is praising the efforts of his officers and staff. “This is a fantastic achievement,” he said, “especially in these difficult times, and I pay tribute to the tireless dedication, commitment, hard work and ‘one team’ approach of my officers and staff. 

“If you’ve been a victim of crime we know the devastating effect it can have on your life. That’s why my number one priority is to protect the people we serve from those who would cause them harm. 

The savings we’ve had to make have presented us with very difficult challenges and choices but I’d like to take this opportunity to focus on what we’ve achieved and the potential we have to continue to adapt, innovate and invest. 

“Operation Nemesis, our crackdown on burglaries, contributed to a 4 per cent drop in the number of house burglaries. We re-launched the campaign in October after seeing an increase and between then and March we brought the figure down by 253 compared with the previous six months and caught more suspects, making 994 arrests for burglary. 

“I have maintained the number of police officers and staff dedicated to local visible policing and I aim to continue that until 2015 and beyond. We’re moving closer to the heart of our communities and we’re constantly looking at new ways to make our service more accessible. 

“The next year will provide another test of our leadership, professionalism and capability but having taken an early lead to plan ahead I am confident that Hampshire Constabulary is in a strong position to continue to provide an excellent service to our communities.”

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Chair of Hampshire Police Authority, said: “Hampshire Police Authority has always set challenging targets for the constabulary and through our strong leadership and guidance we have overseen the year on year reductions in crime of the past five years. 

“Every year we consult with thousands of people from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, along with community safety partners and other agencies, either directly at events across the two counties or with representatives from organisations who speak on behalf of residents, businesses and visitors. This ensures that the priorities we set are based on what people expect from their police service. 

“The authority is very proud of the constabulary and the dedication of the officers and staff who ensure that Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are even safer places. Looking forward we have laid a very strong foundation on which the elected Police and Crime Commissioner will hopefully build.”