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Police Authority
Chair Welcomes Latest Lancashire Crime Figures
THE Chair of Lancashire
Police Authority, Cllr Malcolm Doherty, has welcomed the latest
crime figures, revealed on 10 April 2012, highlighting the sustained
fall in crime in county.
These latest statistics show that overall crime fell by 3.1% from
102,496 to 99,336. This means that, compared to the previous year,
there were 3,160 fewer victims of crime in Lancashire during the 12
months ending 31 March 2012.
Acknowledging the hard work behind the ongoing improvements in
police performance, Cllr Doherty said that these results had been
achieved against the odds.
"This last year has seen the Constabulary implement a change
programme that will have affected everyone who works in the
organisation in some way, as we have sought to identify savings of
around £43m. Change, in the early days, can often have a detrimental
impact on performance, so the ongoing focus on improvement witnessed
by the overall drop in crime is particularly impressive. We are
aware that as funds become tighter, ongoing cuts in crime levels
will become even more difficult to achieve, particularly when crime
is already at historically low levels. There are certainly no ‘easy
wins’ out there, it is all down to exceptional leadership and sheer
hard work. The overall objective, to keep Lancashire residents safe,
remains the most important element of what we do. I’m pleased to see
such strong proof that the eye has not been taken off the ball,
despite some testing challenges." Cllr Doherty explained.
Cllr Doherty, who steps down from the Police Authority this May, has
been Chair of the Authority since May 2005. Over the last seven
years he has overseen an ongoing fight against criminality in the
county, which has led to a significant fall in the number of crimes
committed while the percentage of crimes successfully detected has
become reliably one of the highest in England and Wales.
In November, the County will go to the polls to elect the first
Police and Crime Commissioner for the County, who will take over
responsibility for policing governance from the Police Authority.
Performance figures for Lancashire Police, for the year ending 31
March 2012:-
► There were 635 fewer victims of
serious acquisitive crime, with reports falling 4.8%, from 13,188
incidents to 12,553.
► Vehicle crime reduced with 519
fewer victims; a decrease of 6% from 8,114 incidents to 7,595.
► Criminal damage reports are also
down 8% from 20,626 incidents to 18,978; that is a reduction of
1,648 fewer victims.
► Robbery was down 3.8 % from 707
offences to 680 offences; a reduction of 27 offences.
► All violent crime reduced by 2.9%
from 24,168 offences to 23,475 offences; meaning there were 693
fewer victims.
► Racially aggravated crime was down
1.8% from 604 to 593 offences (11 fewer victims).
► Hate crime reduced by 9.4% from
1094 to 991 offences with 103 fewer victims.
► Incidents of violence with injury
rose by 5.8%, up from 10,048 offences to 11,013 offences.
Burglary in a dwelling figures have been at a 30 year low and now
they have dropped even further, with 89 fewer people who reported
burglaries in their homes last year. This is a further reduction of
2% (4,367 offences to 4,278), which has been achieved, in part,
through force-wide Operation Julius, aimed at preventing crime,
targeting criminals and detecting burglaries. The figures also show
that 89% of those surveyed are confident in Lancashire Constabulary
as a whole, and 85% of those surveyed who the police deal with are
satisfied with the service provided to them. |
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A late night
levy will damage business and further degrade the high street, Forum
warns
"THE introduction of a ‘late
night levy’ on businesses catering for the UK’s evening economy will
hit the already struggling pub sector and further harm the
profitability of high streets." That is the warning from the
Forum of Private Business in a letter to Lord Henley, who has been
appointed by the Government to conduct a consultation exercise
looking at the controversial proposals. But the Forum says any such
levy would be little more than a stealth tax against business, and
in the letter argues that it also flies in the face of the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ moratorium on new
regulations for small business. The not for profit business support
group is opposed to the levy concept in general which, it points
out, is fundamentally contrary to the recommendations of the Portas
Review; a report which makes the case for town centres to once more
become a focal point of the communities they serve. The Government
has already announced it was accepting virtually all the
recommendations in the review following months of investigations by
retail guru Mary Portas. Chief Executive at the Forum, Phil Orford,
said:- "It’s a huge irony that the Communities Minister Grant Shapps
wholeheartedly embraced the contents of the Portas Review, and
remarked on the need to make high streets central to communities
across the country. Yet on the other hand we have a Government plan
taking shape to introduce a new stealth tax which directly targets
high street businesses. It’s hardly joined-up thinking. We would
also say this goes against the moratorium by BIS for new regulations
for small firms. The Government argues it is business friendly, but
then sends out a completely different message."
The Forum also argues that a levy would simply create more misery
for small pubs just as the industry is shrinking at its fastest rate
ever. Mr Orford added:- "Small pubs, like the rest of the
small business community, are really struggling due to the current
economic climate. Consumer spending is low, while business costs are
on the increase; business rates have just gone up by 5.6%. Our
members complain that business rates don’t represent value for
money, so being forced to pay up to £4,400 a year, just to subsidise
additional services is a massive slap in the face. The pub industry
as a whole is already struggling and the introduction of a levy
would pile further pressure on the sector. The Forum believes
imposing a levy is not the best way to deal with the issue of late
night drinking either. Drinking culture is a complex issue, and
won’t be solved simply by crudely levying extra taxes on firms,
which is a sticking plaster approach at best. Frankly, extra taxes
merely hurt the smallest businesses at a time when they should be
growing and stimulating the private sector."
In its letter to Lord Henley, the Forum outlines a need for the
Government to encourage councils and local communities to develop
voluntary schemes and initiatives.
"Crime is a concern for small businesses as well as local
authorities, so it would be in their interest to work in partnership
with local communities. As acknowledged in the consultation
document, such work is already underway, in the form of Community
Alcohol Partnerships and Business Improvement Districts; models
which could be promoted as examples of best practice." added
Mr Orford.
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