Staffordshire crime rates hit three-year high
The number of crimes being committed in Staffordshire has risen to the highest level in three years, new figures show.
Staffordshire Police dealt with 60,861 incidents – up on 59,384 from the previous 12 months, according to the Home Office.
But despite the increase, police chiefs in the country have said progress is still being made to tackle the rates. Incidents of violence and sexual offences have increased and cyber crime has also gone up.
Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said: "Any increase in crime is something I am concerned about.
"Traditional crimes like burglary and vehicle-orientated theft are steady or falling but things like 'other violence' which includes online and social media harassment such as the use of Twitter is rising.
"It's also being more readily reported, particularly by domestic abuse victims.
Sexual offences, although relatively small in numbers, are rising. Some of that is because people are clearly more confident in reporting this."
He added: "Yes, there has been an overall increase but there are distinct factors. Society is changing and I'm also confident that the accuracy of recording in Staffordshire is amongst the best, or the best, in the country.
The ongoing changes in policing for Staffordshire, such as new mobile technology to get more policing, more visible, more of the time will help. But the police and the OPCC must recognise where crime is increasing, understand whether it's because there's more, or more is being reported, and take the necessary action.
"Evidence suggests things are pretty steady in much of Staffordshire and it also suggests people feel safer than ever. But not everywhere and that's what I want the police to focus on."
The 60,861 crimes relate to the 12 months leading up to April this year. From April 2012-2013 the number was 57,456.
Despite the statistics Staffordshire Police assistant chief constable Bernie O'Reilly said the figures did not tell the whole story.
"We have seen reductions in crime over the last three years," she said. "In the last 12 months we have seen an increase despite seeing 11,000 less incidents reported. We can attribute some of the increase to changes in the way we record crime."
