Dorset crime figures down

By dtill

TOTAL crime in Dorset has fallen – along with violent, sexual, robbery, criminal damage and drugs offences – according to latest police force performance statistics released by the Government's Home Office.

And the independent British Crime Survey of the public reveals that Dorset Police remains the best out of the 43 forces in England and Wales for dealing with local people's concerns.

The Home Office has just released police force performance statistics covering the period October to September 2009 compared with the same period during 2008.

Robbery in Dorset fell by 9.9 per cent – making it the eighth best performing force out of the 43 in England and Wales and the best out of Dorset's most similar police forces – while total recorded crime fell by 2.5 per cent.

Criminal damage fell by 5.8 per cent, violence against the person without injury by 9.3 per cent, violence against the person by 5.2 per cent, drug offences by 5.1 per cent.

The latest performance figures from Dorset Police comparing April to December 2009 with the same period during 2008 – are a 20 per cent drop in robbery, a 17.8 per cent fall in most serious violent crime and a 2.8 per cent fall in total recorded crime.

There was also an 8.5 per cent drop in criminal damage, a 3.5 per cent fall in vehicle crime and a three per cent drop in total violent crime.