Latest police statistics show attacks down by 48%

2:50pm Friday 25th July 2008

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KNIFE crime in North Yorkshire is down by nearly a half, bucking the trend across the country, although it has risen slightly in York.

Statistics released by North Yorkshire Police for the period April to June show there were 15 incidents involving knives in the county compared to 29 for the same time last year.

For York, there were six such attacks last year and eight this year while in Selby there was just one in the period April to June last year and one this year.

The latest data from the British Crime Survey shows that for 2007/2008, the county had the second-lowest number of knife offences recorded in England and Wales, with just 66 for the entire year.

The police have also revealed that they think the credit crunch may be to blame for a massive increase in house burglaries in the county, although the number dropped significantly in York.

Figures show that there were 533 in the county between April and June of last year, but this had shot up to 661 for the same period this year.

In York, the figure dropped from 353 to 210.

Adam Briggs, the deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire, said: “Domestic burglary will remain a focus for the organisation over the coming months.

“Anecdotally, the credit crunch could be having an impact within this area, ultimately leading to the increases which North Yorkshire Police have seen over recent months. More work is required in order to determine if this factor is the main cause of the increase.”

In total, the police say crime across the county has fallen by 13.8 per cent, a decrease of 1,824 offences, although in York the number of crimes rose by 673. This means that from April to June, there were 11,446 crimes recorded in North Yorkshire, compared to 13,270 in the previous year, while in York, there were 5,057 this year compared to 4,384 last year. In North Yorkshire, violent crimes were down by 771 from 2,775 to 1,984, car crime decreased from 1,402 to 1,267 and criminal damage dropped by 253 recorded offences from 2,869 to 2,616.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said: “Figures for knife crime across the county are some of the lowest in the country and show a significant decrease compared to the same time last year. “Although York has seen a slight increase, it must be stressed that this is just an increase of two crimes, from six to eight.

“For the year 2007 to 2008, North Yorkshire had one of the highest detection rates in England and Wales for violent offences against the person. “These figures are testament to the dedication and hard work, not only of our officers and staff, but our partners, local authorities and the public who support us. “However, we cannot be complacent and will continue to deliver, through our Safer Neighbourhoods Teams and the support of our partners, to ensure our county remains one of the safest in the country.”