No safer place to live in England - Dorset Police

Eastern
Crime isn’t HALF what it used to be!
In this modern world of 24-hour media, tabloid journalism and
stories of ‘yob culture’ it is easy to believe that crime is on the up
and up - that we have more reason to fear becoming a victim of
crime than ever before.
Eastern Division ran a publicity campaign at the end of 2006 showing how
crime in all areas has decreased dramatically since 1998. The campaign’s
newspaper advertisements were paid for by the Proceeds of Crime.
Perhaps that is true of some areas of the UK but it is certainly
NOT the case in Eastern Division of Dorset Police. In
Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck crime has
fallen dramatically since 1998, the year that Eastern Division in its
current geography was formed and also the year
that the Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnership (CDRP) was created.
Comparing last year’s crime figures with those
recorded in 1998 reveals an unprecedented fall in
levels of property crime.
In 2006 in Eastern Division:
●●● 470 fewer homes were burgled than in 1998
●●● 1,000 fewer cars were broken into; and
●●● 200 fewer cars were stolen.
That’s an overall reduction of 55 per cent on
1998 figures.
So why has burglary and vehicle crime reduced
so dramatically? Detective Chief Inspector Garrick
Smith, Eastern Division’s Crime and Performance
Manager, has some ideas:
Public awareness
People are far more aware of crime prevention
than they were 10 years ago. This has meant that
we are less likely to leave our homes and cars
insecure or to leave valuables in an unattended
vehicle. An important part of crime prevention is
reducing the opportunities for thieves to steal,
and home and car owners are increasingly aware
of this.
Technology
There is little doubt that technological
developments have contributed to the fall in
crime. Home security, for example, has improved
and many new homes are now built with
advanced security systems. Improvements in the
design of replacement windows and doors make
break-ins more difficult - we are recording an
increasing number of incidents where the
‘would-be’ burglar has had to give up after
trying unsuccessfully to force several windows
and doors.
Advances in technology have also had a huge
effect on vehicle crime. Ten years ago engine
immobilisers were only fitted to luxury cars
whereas now they are a standard fitting to most
new cars, making them more difficult to steal. If
they are stolen, many cars now have tracking systems fitted so
that the police can locate them wherever they are in the country.
Entertainment systems are now integrated into car dashboards,
making them almost impossible to steal. Car parks are better
designed and more secure than they were previously and the
widespread use of CCTV has made it increasingly harder for
thieves to operate without being detected.
Cost of ‘luxury’ goods
The retail cost of home electrical goods - TVs and DVD players,
for example - has reduced dramatically in recent years. Many of
the items that burglars used to steal from our homes now have
such little second hand value that they are considered by thieves
as ‘not worth stealing’. Many criminals have decided that, in terms
of financial reward, domestic burglary is no longer worth the risk.
Neighbourhood Watch
The growth of Neighbourhood and Home Watch schemes means
that many communities have become ‘no-go’ areas for burglars.
Once a burglar has been caught as a result of a phone call from a
Neighbourhood Watch they feel more vulnerable in that area and
are not prepared to take the risk of getting caught again.
Tougher sentences
Sentencing policy has also changed, with the introduction of
mandatory sentences for persistent offenders. Two decades ago
the average sentence for a career burglar was 18 months to two
years. Nowadays it is not unusual to see persistent offenders
receiving prison sentences of five years and more.
Improvements in policing
Our intelligence-led approach is about directing our resources
towards catching those criminals who are committing the greatest
volume of crime so that we can maximise the impact of their arrest.
Catching and convicting prolific and persistent offenders is central
to our crime reduction strategy and we are getting better at it all
the time.
We are also making greater use of technology in the fight to
reduce crime. One recent innovation has been the introduction of
‘capture cars’. These are ordinary cars fitted inside with tiny video
cameras that automatically start recording when the car is broken
into. At the same time they send a text message to the police
phone network, alerting officers. These capture cars have led to
the arrest and conviction of numerous persistent car thieves.
The use of the Automated Number Plate Recognition System
(ANPR) is also increasing. These cameras, sited at the side of the
road or in unmarked police vehicles, automatically record and
instantly check car registration numbers against the Police
National Database, as vehicles pass by. The system will instantly
identify stolen vehicles and vehicles known to be used by active
criminals and is an important tool in identifying and disrupting
criminals who travel through the Eastern Division committing
crime. ANPR is now deployed regularly on all the main arterial
routes across the Dorset Police area.
What is the Crime and
Disorder Reduction
partnership (CDRP)?
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 made it a statutory
requirement for councils, the Police, Primary Care Trusts, the
Fire and Rescue Service, other key agencies and the community
to work together at borough/district level to develop and
implement plans for reducing crime and disorder.
In Eastern Dorset (Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and
Purbeck), the requirements of the Act were met through the
formation of the Eastern Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnership (CDRP), which sees the area’s four borough/district
authorities, Dorset County Council, Eastern Division of Dorset
Police, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, Primary Care Trusts,
Probation and Housing working together to address crime issues
across the Eastern policing division, and on a local level by
working with local action and community groups.
The 1998 Act also requires local authorities to consider the
impact of all of their functions on crime and disorder issues.
As part of their commitment to doing so, each of the four
Eastern Dorset authorities has a full-time officer dedicated to
tackling Community Safety who works closely with the police
and other partners.
They are:
●●● Christchurch: Natalie Murray (01202 495111)
●●● East Dorset: Martha Perry (01202 639032)
●●● North Dorset: John Bartlett (01258 484368)
●●● Purbeck: Karen Jaggs (01929 557387)
The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership has recently
launch a new website, offering the latest news and information
on the good work the partnership is involved in. For any further
information on the partnership, please visit
www.dorsetworkingtogether.org
Two of Eastern Dorset CDRP’s four full-time
Community Safety Officers are Martha Perry
(East Dorset) and Karen Jaggs (Purbeck).
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