[16 JAN 01]  WARWICKSHIRE CONSTABULARY NEWS
Coventry Is More Dangerous Than Warwickshire

The West Midlands has the highest number of robberies in the country outside London, while Warwickshire is the safest place in the country to live.

Government figures released today show that there were 4.1 robberies per 1,000 residents in the West Midlands force area, which includes Coventry.

Only the Metropolitan police area records a higher number, with 5.6 robberies being committed per 1,000 people.

The West Midlands also had 17 violent offences per 1,000 people. In contrast, neighbouring Warwickshire had just 4.6 per 1,000 – the lowest in the country, but even this county recorded a rise.

Overall the county’s crime figures from October 1999 to September 2000 fell by 7.2 per cent on the previous 12 months. 7,139 offences were recorded per 100,000 of population.

The number of house burglaries in Warwickshire fell by 9.4 to 15.2 per 1,000 household, and the clear-up rate rose. Vehicle crime has halved from 10.2 per 1,000 people to 4.6.

Acting Assistant Chief Constable Derek Cake, said:

”I am delighted that the county’s crime rate is falling and am sure that it is partly due to the strong crime and disorder partnerships that have been developed during the past two years.

“By working together with other agencies we have begun to tackle the causes of crime as well as crime itself.

“We have also adopted a more targeted style of policing where we address known problem areas and know criminal to maximise the effect of our resources, and this is starting to pay dividends in the significant reductions in most crimes.

“Violent crime has risen slightly and I would expect this trend to continue as we encourage more people – particularly victims of domestic violence and those involved in alcohol-related fights – to report these crimes.

“Under-reporting is recognised as an issue across the country and more reporting will enable the force to target these crimes more effectively.”