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Crime down, fewer crimes resolved | Crime down, fewer crimes resolved |
(41 minutes later) | |
Police say there has been a substantial reduction in the number of crimes committed in NI during the past year. | Police say there has been a substantial reduction in the number of crimes committed in NI during the past year. |
All crime - including violent crimes, robberies and burglaries - have fallen by 10.5%, the lowest level since 1999. | All crime - including violent crimes, robberies and burglaries - have fallen by 10.5%, the lowest level since 1999. |
However, just one-fifth of crimes were resolved, a drop of 3.1% on last year. | However, just one-fifth of crimes were resolved, a drop of 3.1% on last year. |
It was the first set of annual crime figures to be published since Sinn Fein joined the Policing Board and encouraged people to back the police. | It was the first set of annual crime figures to be published since Sinn Fein joined the Policing Board and encouraged people to back the police. |
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton said the drop in crime rates was part of a continuing downward trend. | Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton said the drop in crime rates was part of a continuing downward trend. |
"This year it has fallen by 10.5% which is a substantial decrease and is testament to the work of police officers throughout Northern Ireland who have been working determinedly to drive crime down," he said. | "This year it has fallen by 10.5% which is a substantial decrease and is testament to the work of police officers throughout Northern Ireland who have been working determinedly to drive crime down," he said. |
"Police officers in all areas have been working with local communities to listen to their concerns about crime and working in partnership to tackle those problems." | "Police officers in all areas have been working with local communities to listen to their concerns about crime and working in partnership to tackle those problems." |
According to the police's figures for 2007/08: | According to the police's figures for 2007/08: |
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Mr Leighton said the fall in the number of crimes being solved was partly due to a new way of counting introduced by the government. | Mr Leighton said the fall in the number of crimes being solved was partly due to a new way of counting introduced by the government. |
He said in 2007 the Home Office restricted the ranges of clearance types available to police which meant that "virtually all clearances resulting in no further action - as in the case of a complainant declining to prosecute - could not be claimed as a valid clearance." | He said in 2007 the Home Office restricted the ranges of clearance types available to police which meant that "virtually all clearances resulting in no further action - as in the case of a complainant declining to prosecute - could not be claimed as a valid clearance." |
Policing Board chairman Sir Desmond Rea said the "low overall clearance rate remains a cause for concern". | |
He said they had set a "challenging target" to improve this by 5% between 2008 and 2011. | |
He added: "The fact that the 2007/2008 recorded crime statistics are the lowest recorded since the counting rules were revised in 1998/1999 is very welcome and surpasses the target set in the 2007-2010 Policing Plan." |