Crime figures released by the Home Office today show that crime decreased in South Wales during the 12 months to September 2009, when compared with the same 12 months the year before.
At the same time, according to recent British Crime Survey results, the public’s confidence in the police to deal with crimes and anti social behaviour is also increasing steadily.
The report on crime figures confirms that on average there were 30 fewer victims of crime every single day, which equates to nearly 1000 per month (11,194) for the year.
This is the first time that crime figures have been presented in this way by the Home Office. This new ’12-month’ format aims to provide the public with a better picture about crime trends by eradicating the disproportionate impact that one-off crime spikes, up or down, can have on comparable figures.
The number of crimes being solved by officers has also increased. This includes rises in key areas such as violence against the person, auto-crime and dwelling burglary.
Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said: “We are experiencing the lowest crime levels for many years, indeed if we continue the trend crime will be at a 20 year low. What’s more the proportion of criminals being brought to justice is also on the increase.
“Just to give people some idea, the decrease in the number of victims of crime equates to the capacity of a small sports stadium, and that is something that people can draw a lot of reassurance and confidence from.
“The public should feel safe in South Wales, and those who take on board simple crime prevention measures can feel even safer as they will further decrease their chances of being a victim of crime,” he added.
Overall, all types of crimes have decreased in the South Wales region.
The biggest fall has been in the level of house burglaries. There was the equivalent of five less dwelling burglaries every single day over the 12 months.
Vehicle thefts have gone down by more than a quarter, which means there were on average four less cars stolen every day.
Violence against the person decreased by over 10 per cent meaning there were 2153 fewer victims of violent crime during the 12 months ending September 2009, compared to the same period up to September 2008.
Chief Constable Peter Vaughan added: “Together with our partners such as the local authority which are so key in tackling crime, we really are making significant strides and are in fact are one of the most improved forces in Wales and England.
In nine out of 14 areas, South Wales Police are in the top 10 out of 43 for most improved forces in crime reduction, and in Wales we are the most improved police service in this respect.
“We know that incidents of car crime and house burglary can have a devastating affect on someone’s quality of life, and have made a concerted effort in key areas with targeted crime prevention initiatives, targeting areas highly populated with students for example, who tend to make up a disproportionate level of the total number of burglary victims.”
There has also been a significant reduction in violent crime incidents force wide, with 2599 fewer victims.
On this Mr Vaughan added: “Much of this can be attributed to measures we have taken to police areas with significant night time economies. Higher visibility patrols which have been strengthened thanks to the adoption of a new shift pattern; partnership working with security staff and licensed premises and the use of street pastors and other volunteers, plus the use of awareness campaigns to encourage people to think about the affect alcohol can have on their behaviour, have all proved to be useful.
At the start of the year, the force announced a policing pledge which set out a promise to consistently provide a high standard of service to users of the service with the aim of improving victim satisfaction and public confidence levels across the force.
On this, Mr Vaughan said: “We recognise that it is not just about figures, and we are working very hard with our partners to ensure our communities feel safe and have confidence in the service we deliver.”
He added: “We are already starting to reap the benefits of a concerted effort to provide a high standard of service. Through our own research we know that more and more victims of crimes are satisfied with the service we give them, and there is more confidence in us to deal with the local issues that matter most to people.
“Through our pledge, amongst other things, we are committed to meet with the community on a monthly basis or more, to make sure we know what issues to focus our resources on. We have also introduced newsletters to target communities with updates on what we have done to tackle issues in their area.
“The confidence in us, of the communities of South Wales, is a top priority for me and my colleagues, and I am very pleased with the improvements we have made in this area.
“I will stress that we are not complacent and will continue the high standards of good work our communities have come to expect.”