9:29am Saturday 11th August 2007
By Gavin Aitchison
RISING crime trends have been turned around in part of York, with new figures showing a vast reduction in offences.
Statistics released under the Freedom Of Information Act show there were 1,292 offences in Holgate in 2006/07, down from 1,473 in 2005/06 - a drop of 12.3 per cent.
Last year, The Press's special Crime In Focus investigation found the number of offences in the ward had risen by ten per cent in 12 months.
But police have now reversed that trend. The number of burglaries fell from 101 in 2005/06 to 96 in 2006/07; counts of criminal damage fell from 334 to 281; vehicle thefts and non-domestic burglaries fell from 495 to 388; and violence against the person from 297 to 289.
The only increases were marginal. Sexual offences rose from 11 to 12; drugs offences from 25 to 28; robberies from ten to 13; and fraud and forgery from 24 to 25.
Local councillor James Alexander, who obtained the figures, said: "I am so very pleased that the Government-introduced, safer neighbourhood police teams are yielding results.
"The local sergeant, Hamish Halloway, should be commended for criminal damage dropping almost 20 per cent in Holgate in a year.
"I would like to see more emphasis placed on drug- related offences. Drugs are a powerful motivation to commit other crimes, while being a crime itself.
"The Holgate police team are no doubt looking at ways of combating drugs, but the council needs to do more so that young people and the vulnerable are not attracted to this life, have raised aspirations as well, and have something to do.
"Selling off leisure land is not the answer and does not help."
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said he did not have detailed knowledge of the Holgate patch, but welcomed the figures, adding: "It's a good indication that the neighbourhood police team are doing a good job."
Last autumn, The Press used the Freedom Of Information Act to obtain details of every single crime committed in York and North Yorkshire between October 2004 and September 2006.
The statistics showed an overall crime reduction of 8.6 per cent in the North Yorkshire Police area between 2004/05 and 2005/06.
Holgate was one of 12 City of York Council wards in which crime had increased. It fell in the other ten.
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