10.5 per cent Wallingford crime drop welcomed

1:33pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

WALLINGFORD mayor Betty Atkins has welcomed the police activity which has seen crimes in the town drop by 10.5 per cent.

Criminal damage, burglaries, interfering with vehicles and domestic violence have all seen a drop over the last year, But there has been a rise in assaults, thefts from vehicles and thefts of pedal cycles.

Mrs Atkins said the figures were encouraging but she said events outside those categories worried local people. She said: "Most local people are worried about groups of young people and their behaviour but these do not constitute crimes. I know the police have been doing a lot with young people and I hope they will continue to do so to reassure local residents."

In Wallingford in 2006/7 there were 1,107 crimes but last year that dropped to 991, a drop of 10.5 per cent.

The latest crime figures were given by local area commander, Supt Andy Murray. He said the 11 per cent drop in crime for south Oxfordshire generally showed a great improvement - only in Didcot did the crime rate go up.

He said detection rates had risen to just under a quarter but acknowledged that three out of every four crimes in the area went undetected.

He said: "We are doing our best to increase the detection rate."

Supt Murray said increasing the number of police personnel and Police Community Support Officers on the streets, especially at weekends, has helped keep public order offences down.

He said: "This is fundamental to our aim of improving our service to the public."

Supt Murray said: "South Oxfordshire is one of the safest places in the country to live, and cutting crime figures like this makes it even safer."

The Wallingford crime figures were; Criminal damage down by 108 cases, a drop of 18.9 per cent.

Thefts from vehicles down by 3, a drop of 2.5 per cent.

Wounding down by 3, a drop of 4.6 per cent Assault up by 8, a rise of 15.7 per cent.

Burglary down by 11, a drop of 16.9 per cent.

Theft of vehicles up by 17, a rise of 26.6 per cent.

Theft of pedal cycles up by 8, a rise of 15.4 per cent.

Theft from person up by 2, a rise of 20 per cent.

Vehicle interference down by 13, a drop of 38.2 per cent Domestic violence assaults up by 1, an increase of 3 percent Domestic violence wounding a drop of 14, down by 46.8 per cent.

Robbery of personal property, no change at four in both years.