Crime falls in Cheshire at much higher rate than national average

New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that Cheshire continues to be one of the safest places in England, Cheshire Police says.

The county experienced a 6.8 per cent reduction in the number of recorded crimes, in stark contrast to the national average decrease of just 0.9 per cent.

The figures released today, Thursday, cover the period between January and December 2023, compared with the previous 12 months.

This represents the second consecutive year that crime has fallen in Cheshire.

Reductions were seen across many categories of crime, with public disorder down 27.9 per cent, business robbery down 21.2 per cent, arson reduced by 15.4 per cent and stalking and harassment falling by 15 per cent.

Cheshire Police says its proactive approach to tackling crime has resulted in an increase for possession of drugs offences (64.1 per cent) and possession of weapons offences (40.2 per cent).

This is thanks to a huge drive in proactively stopping and searching people officers believe are up to no good, the force added.

Commenting on the data, chief constable Mark Roberts said: “I am incredibly proud of these latest figures, which demonstrate the hard work of Cheshire Police officers and staff to continue to make this county a hostile place for criminals.

“At the end of last year, more than 1,800 people were arrested during Cheshire Police’s Christmas operation.

“Officers targeted perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, violence against women, domestic abuse and drink and drug driving – with a particular focus on night-time economy hot spot areas to keep people safe over the festive period.

“The force also supported Operations Sceptre and Calibre, which sought to tackle knife crime and street robbery respectively, and resulted in 39 knife sweeps in parks and public areas.

New data has shown that crime has fallen in Cheshire this past year

“The 15 per cent reduction in stalking and harassment is largely down to the incredible work of our Harm Reduction Unit.

“This has seen the introduction of victim proximity tags which alert victims and our control room if an offender is in close proximity to the victim.”

CC Roberts continued: “Like other forces across the country, we have seen an increase in shoplifting offences (33 per cent), but this is below the national average increase of 37 per cent.

“I want to reassure businesses that we are working hard to tackle crimes against businesses and those responsible, including by a number of innovative and proactive measures.

“We have also introduced specialist facial recognition software to identify those responsible and hold them accountable, as well as applying for criminal behaviour orders to ban repeat offenders from certain businesses or locations.

“This all sets a strong message to anyone who thinks they can commit crime in Cheshire and get away with it.

“I hope members of the public will also be reassured of the action we will carry out to prevent our residents, businesses, and communities from becoming victims of crime.”

As well as a reduction in crime, Cheshire Police says it has also seen significant improvements in the time it takes for calls to be answered and officers to arrive.

CC Roberts highlighted: “Despite our officers having more than 900 square miles of ground to cover, including incredibly rural settings with limited access routes, between January and March 2024, the average time taken to arrive at an emergency incident was seven minutes and 52 seconds – well below the national 15-minute target.

“This is in part thanks to the great work of our police staff in our control room, who play a huge role in protecting those who live in Cheshire.

“Overall, these latest figures recognise the dedication of everyone in the force, with officers and staff members working together to ensure Cheshire is one of the safest places to live in the country.”