Crime figures in Nottinghamshire rise quicker than the national average, new figures reveal

Crime in Nottinghamshire has risen more quickly than in the rest of the country, according to new figures unearthed by Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero.
Recorded crime is up in Nottinghamshire.Recorded crime is up in Nottinghamshire.
Recorded crime is up in Nottinghamshire.

But crime chiefs in the county say that offences are up nationally, and that Nottinghamshire's figures have spiked due to the force's more robust recording systems.

Analysis of crime statistics by the House of Commons Library show that in the 12 months to the end of March 2018, 97,230 crimes were recorded by the police in Nottinghamshire - a rise of 18.4 per cent compared with the previous year.

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The figure for all 43 police forces in England and Wales over the same period is just 13.4 per cent, meaning that crime in Nottinghamshire has risen by more than a third more than in the country as a whole.

These figures put the rates of crime per 1,000 people at 87 in Nottinghamshire in the year to the end of March 2018 – whereas the crime rate is 83 per 1,000 head of population for England and Wales.

Ms De Piero said that these statistics are evidence that the police need more resources in order to tackle rising crime.

She said: “Since 2010 when the Conservatives came to power, the number of police officers in Nottinghamshire has fallen by 18 per cent, while the number of PCSOs has dropped by 31 per cent in the same period.

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“It cannot be a coincidence that crime rises when there are less bobbies on the beat.

“The safety of residents should be paramount to any government, so it is about time that our police forces were given the resources they need to fight crime now.”

Violent crime in Nottinghamshire rose by 20.9 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March 2018 compared to the previous year, up to 29,891 offences.

The percentage rise for all police forces in England and Wales was slightly higher at 21.7 per cent.

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However, the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people in Nottinghamshire stands at 27, one higher than the figure for England and Wales as a whole, which is 26.

Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner, said: "The rules governing how crime is counted and recorded have changed and Nottinghamshire Police is more compliant with those changes than most forces. This has contributed to an increase in the number of crimes recorded.

“Crime is up nationally and it’s no secret that police numbers are at their lowest level for 30 years with 22,000 officers lost since 2010. In Nottinghamshire however, police numbers are now rising faster than almost anywhere else in the country and we are recruiting an extra 120 officers, taking our numbers to 2025.”

Nottinghamshire Police said it was inappropriate for them to comment and was a matter for commissioner