Police beating street crime (From Barry And District News)

Police beating street crime

BARRY police are winning the war against street crime, according to interim figures released this week.

The latest statistics show that the Vale of Glamorgan has seen a substantial fall in robberies for the ten weeks up to August 21.

Figures prove that when compared with the same period last year, there have been 2,272 fewer reported incidents - an impressive drop of 13 percent.

The news was immediately welcomed by Vale of Glamorgan MP, John Smith, who paid tribute to the local officers.

He said: "I am very pleased with this news. I look forward to the full figures being released next month which will show how Vale police are beating crime.

Mr Smith said he has first hand knowledge, through his constituents, of the fear and devastation that street crime can cause.

He said: "Fear of crime is a big concern for many sections of our society particularly the older members. Fortunately street crime accounts for only 2 percent of all crime, according to the latest British Crime Survey. The chance of being a victim is still lower than at any time since the early 1980s.

"This type of incident has been fuelled in part by the increased use of mobile phones, a popular target for robberies, and by the increased involvement of younger people, predominantly males, as both victim and offender.

The Westminster man concluded: "I am very pleased that this initiative has proved to be so effective, though we must not allow ourselves to become complacent. Crime reduction needs both the police and the community to work together."

Mr Smith comments were echoed by Chief inspector Steve Burge who credits the partnership between police and the local authority (the Crime and Disorder Strategy) for the fall in crime.

He told the News: "Working in partnership puts us in a stronger position to tackle crime and disorder effectively."