Your Commissioner - Your Voice

Commissioner Zoë can ask questions on your behalf in her Online Public Meeting with the Chief Constable or Chief Fire Officer. Ask your question and find out more.

19 January, 2017

North Yorkshire – the safest place in the country

The latest national crime figures have confirmed North Yorkshire is the safest place in England.

This was announced today (Thursday 19 January 2017) in the “Crime Statistics for England and Wales, year ending September 2016” bulletin published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Reported crime went up by five per cent, less than the national average of nine percent, and takes into account more rigorous reporting practices.

Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, said:

“I am pleased to see that North Yorkshire remains the safest place in the country. This is not by chance, so my thanks go to the police officers and staff who work so hard to keep us all safe.

“It is very encouraging that the public is becoming more confident in reporting crimes, especially sexual offences. It is very important that alongside our success in keeping crime down we ensure we have the right services for victims when they are needed. I am very proud that over the last few years we have greatly improved the services we provide for these victims. I have introduced North Yorkshire’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in York, and we have greatly improved how we help domestic abuse victims, resulting in us having one of the highest conviction rates for domestic abuse in the country.

“Today’s figures demonstrate how crime is changing, with fraud now the most commonly experienced offence in the UK. This reflects the results from my recent consultation for North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Plan, which showed that fraud is the top emerging public concern compared to five years ago.

“Whilst being the safest place in the country is welcome, North Yorkshire residents and visitors can be reassured that the police will not be complacent about continuing to ensure we can all go about our daily lives with confidence.”

You can find out more information about the statistics at:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingsept2016

The figures in detail

Broken down into the main crime categories, the ONS figures for North Yorkshire show:

  • Robbery reduced by 13% (139 crimes in total)
  • Burglary reduced by 3% (3,869 crimes in total. Of which 1,477 are recorded as dwelling burglaries (an 8% increase) and 2,392 non-dwelling burglaries (a 9% decrease)
  • Drug offences decreased by 15% (1,669 crimes in total)
  • Violence against the person went up by 14% (9,313 crimes in total). This is broken down into Violence with Injury (4,575 crimes in total, 7% increase) and Violence without Injury category (4,733 crimes in total, 21% increase)
  • Possession of weapons offences up by 10% (204 crimes in total)
  • Theft offences up slightly by 1% (16,866 crimes in total)
  • Theft from person up by 10% (504 crimes in total)
  • All other theft offences down by 3% (4,566 crimes in total)
  • Criminal damage and arson up by 5% (5,782 crimes in total)
  • Vehicle Offences increased by 6% (2,356 crimes in total)
  • Sexual offences increased by 17% (1,316 crimes in total). This rise is regarded as a positive reflection of the confidence victims have in North Yorkshire Police, particularly those making historical complaints in the wake of the Jimmy Savile and Peter Jaconelli investigation, plus the specialist work of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) which has been operating in York for nearly four years.
  • Public order offences up by 6% (1,333 crimes in total)
  • Miscellaneous crimes against society, which includes the possession and publication of extreme sexual images, increased by 17% with 637 crimes in total
  • Shoplifting increased by 3% (4,125 crimes in total)
  • Bicycle theft increased by 14% (1,446 crimes in total)