Eastern Dorset Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

FEEL SAFE : CRIME IS HALF WHAT IT USED TO BE IN CHRISTCHURCH, EAST DORSET, NORTH DORSET AND PURBECK.

Crime in Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck is half what it was eight years ago. And it is still falling. That’s the reassuring message from the Eastern Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) to communities this Christmas.

This year, in the areas covered by Purbeck, North and East Dorset District Councils and Christchurch Borough Council:

• 400 fewer homes have been burgled than in 1998
• 900 fewer cars have been broken into
• 200 fewer cars have been stolen

That’s an overall reduction of 54 per cent on 1998 figures.

So why has burglary and vehicle crime reduced so dramatically? Detective Chief Inspector Garrick Smith of Dorset Police, Crime Manager for the Eastern CDRP area, believes that part of the reason for the reduction is that people are far more aware of crime prevention than they were 10 years ago.

He said: “People are less likely to leave their homes and cars insecure and most people no longer leave their valuables in their car when they leave it unattended. An important part of crime prevention is about reducing the opportunities for thieves to steal, and home and car owners are increasingly aware of this.”

DCI Smith also cites technological advancement as a reason: home security has improved; vehicles are more difficult to steal than they were 10 years ago; entertainment systems in cars are now integrated into the dashboard; CCTV is widespread; car parks are more secure; and the retail value of home electrical goods – TVs and DVD players, for example – has reduced so much, many thieves consider them ‘not worth stealing’.

The growth of Neighbourhood and Home Watch schemes has meant that many residential areas have become ‘no-go’ areas for burglars. DCI Smith explained: “Once a burglar has been caught as a result of a phone call from a Neighbourhood Watch scheme they feel more vulnerable in these areas and are not prepared to take the risk of getting caught again.”

DCI Smith also believes that current sentencing policy is having an effect. “When I became a detective, the average sentence for a career burglar was about 18 months. Nowadays it is not unusual to see persistent offenders receiving prison sentences of five years and more. I have no doubt that this is acting as a deterrent.”

Finally, DCI Smith points to improvements in policing as a contributory factor in falling crime. He said: “Our intelligence-led approach is about directing our resources towards catching those criminals who are committing the greatest volume of crime so that we can maximise the impact of their arrest. Catching and convicting prolific and persistent offenders is central to our crime reduction strategy and we are getting better at it all the time.”

The reason that the figures go back eight years is that, in 1998 the CDRP (made up of police, fire and rescue, local authorities, health and probation) was formed under the Crime and Disorder Act, formalising partnership working to reduce crime. In the same year, Dorset Police was restructured and Eastern Division was formed.

Issued by: Georgina Marlow, Eastern Division Communications Officer, Dorset Police.