PFCC reacts to latest ONS Crime Statistics

The Office of National Statistics released its latest crime figures for England and Wales this week.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said:

“I share the public’s concern in relation to the rise. We all want to live in safe and secure communities and we need to see crime fall.

“Much of the volume rise is due to newly defined crimes such as controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking and harassment, as well as internet fraud and hate crime. These demand new approaches and new technology to deal with them. But we recognise the troubling rise in violent assault, and welcome the additional government funding to provide a surge in stop and search and the resources to fund our long term plan to reduce violence and vulnerability, which we are now implementing.

“Over the last year we have seen a significant decrease in incidents of ASB, burglary and theft. Essex continues to have a lower level of recorded crime than elsewhere in country and continues to be a comparatively safe county.

“Essex Police is currently recruiting more than 500 extra officers, the largest ever recruitment programme in the county. With the extra resources we are putting in, it is important that Essex Police, working with its partners, gets ahead of this worrying trend and prevents crime from happening in the first place.”

View the stats here.