Drop in recorded crime in Ashfield – but rise in sexual offences

Nottinghamshire Police recorded 319 incidents of sexual offences in Ashfield in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics, an increase of 12 per cent compared with the previous year.

At 2.5 crimes per 1,000 people, that was in line with the national rate of 2.9.

About 5.8 million offences were recorded across England and Wales in the year to September – a 2 per cent rise compared with the previous year – although there was a 1 per cent drop to 4.9m offences when excluding cases of fraud and computer misuse.

Police forces logged the highest number of rapes and sexual offences in a 12-month period in the year to September, the figures show.

About 63,100 rapes were recorded in the year to September, according to the ONS, up 13 per cent on the 56,100 in the previous period.

This was the highest recorded annual figure to date and included 17,400 offences between July and September – the highest quarterly figure.

The ONS said the latest figures may reflect several factors, including the ‘impact of high-profile incidents, media coverage and campaigns on people’s willingness to report incidents to the police, as well as a potential increase in the number of victims’, and it urged caution when interpreting the data.

Encouraging

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “Nobody should have to experience the horror of rape and other sexual crimes.

“It’s encouraging that more victims of sexual violence are coming forward and we’ve been clear police must raise the bar in handling such cases so victims know they will be taken seriously and criminals responsible are put behind bars."

The total number of offences in Ashfield fell by 6 per cent, with police recording 9,712 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 75.7 per 1,000 people, compared with a national average of 82.4.

Other crimes recorded in Ashfield included: 3,739 violent offences, a rise of 3 per cent; 2,701 theft offences, down 17 per cent; 1,243 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 11 per cent; 93 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 34; and 874 public order offences, up 12 per cent.

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