Crime is falling but theft and robbery on rise

More than 800 fewer crimes were recorded in the city between April and November than in the same time period in 2011, it has been revealed. FiguresreleasedbyCambridgeshire police show crime fell by 6.8 per cent in Peterborough in the first part of the new financial year compared with last year’s figures.

Thisamountedtoadecrease of 802 recorded crimes, from 11,815 to 11,013.

Acrossthecounty, crimefell by 8.4 per cent - a drop of more than3,000from35,728to32,713.

Peterborough also managed to buck a trend which has seen burglary rise across Cambridgeshire. Dwelling burglaries fell by6.2percent, from615 to 577, across the city.

Supt DanVajzovic said: “It is pleasing that burglaryis significantlydown. Wehaveincreased the size of the team investigating burglaries in the city and have been targeting offenders. It is one of mypriorities to keep people safe in their homes.”

There were, however, rises in other forms of serious acquisitive crime including robbery ( up seven per cent from 963 to 1,007) and other types of theft, in particular shoplifting ( up 10.9 per cent to 1,109) and theft from the person ( up 46.2 per cent from 182 to 266).

Cambridgeshire’s new Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright said: “To an extent that reflects the economic climate because it’s not massively organised crime, it’s opportunistic and that has obviously got to be dealt with and it will be.”

Supt Vajzovic added: “We have seen an increase in theft, mainly shoplifting and bicycle crime. Some of this can be contributed to our work around burglaries, as offenders have been forced to look to other acquisitive crime.”

There were big falls in serious sexual offences ( down 22.2 per cent to 105), criminal damage ( down21.3percent to 1,672) and arson ( down 45.6 per cent to 80).

Thebiggestrisewasinhomicide ( up 150 per cent from two to five).

Supt Dan Vajzovic.