News / avon and somerset police
Rise in violent crimes and sex offences
The number of violent crimes has increased sharply across the Avon and Somerset area in the last year, the latest crime statistics from the Office for National Statistics reveal.
Overall, the number of crimes in the region dropped very slightly, while burglaries and vehicle offences fell sharply.
But in the year to June 2014, there were 17,912 reports of violence against the person – up from 15,895 in the year to June 2013.
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Violence with injury reports rose from 8,124 to 8,881, while robberies rose from 767 to 806.
Most marked was the rise in sexual offences, with 1,908 recorded – a rise of nearly 25 per cent.
This rise reflected a national trend, with the overall number of rapes reported and recorded by police in England and Wales at the highest level ever.
There were 22,116 recorded rapes in the year to June, a rise of 29% on the year before, police figures released by the Office for National Statistics show.
Victims are “more willing” to report rape, Crime Minister Norman Baker said.
Separate statistics from the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed overall crime fell by 16% to 7.1m.
John Flatley, head of crime statistics at the ONS, told the BBC the increase in recorded rapes was driven by two main factors.
“We have seen over the last few years a notable rise in victims coming forward to report historical offences,” he said.
“But this recent set of figures shows quite a change in that pattern, with 73% of the rise due to current offences.
“So victims are coming forward now to report recent occurrences rather than historical ones and it’s certainly the case the police are taking action to improve their recording and handling of rape investigations.”
Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Watson said: “As always, these statistics provide a good check and test for us as a force.
“Although we have seen a rise in the number of reported violent crimes and sexual offences, this is in line with the national picture and reflects an increased confidence in reporting these types of crimes.
“We are keen to encourage the reporting of typically under-reported crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual offences, so that victims get the help and support they need, and offenders are brought to justice.
“We have seen a significant reduction in the number of dwelling burglaries reported with a fall of 16 per cent. We have also seen reductions in vehicle crime, theft and criminal damage.”
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