Crime falls in Dudley (From Stourbridge News)

Crime falls in Dudley

5:00pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in News

LATEST figures reveal a massive drop in recorded crime in Dudley and Sandwell with more than 6,000 fewer victims.

Home Office statistics show Dudley’s crime fell by 15.9 per cent and Sandwell’s by 15 cent - more than twice the national figure of six per cent.

West Midlands Police is the country’s top performing metropolitan force with recorded crime down 13 per cent.

In Dudley, during the 12 months up to June, there were 2,797 fewer victims. House burglaries fell by 23.9 per cent, robbery by 31 per cent and vehicle crime by 9.7 per cent.

House burglaries in Sandwell dropped by 26.8 per cent, robbery by 23.6 per cent and vehicle crime by 0.5 per cent, with 3,435 fewer victims in total.

The figures fly in the face of critics who feared Government imposed police cuts would lead to increases, although detection rates have not been released.

Record rainfall is likely to have had a positive effect in keeping criminals at bay, but West Midlands’ deputy chief constable Dave Thompson said the weather affected all areas of the UK and put his force’s top spot down to “robust offender management” and close partnership working.

He said people had also heeded warnings to improve their own security and more are now informing on criminals operating in their neighbourhoods.

Independent research conducted on behalf of the force also shows that almost nine out of 10 people - 85 per cent - questioned believe the region’s police are doing a good job.

Commenting on the crime figures dep chief cons Thompson said: “These are genuinely encouraging results for the people of the West Midlands, but there is still much more we and our partners can do to make our region safer.”

He warned that the onset of darker nights traditionally leads to increases in crimes such as burglaries but said the force has a “robust plan in place” to manage the threat, and urged the public to also ensure their homes are secure.