Violent crime cut by a fifth

Violent crime in Staffordshire has been was cut by nearly a fifth over the last six months.

Staffordshire Police Authority heard today that overall crime fell by more than 11 per cent between April and September.

More than £1.5 million was also stripped from criminals in the county over the period.

Performance figures presented to the authority showed 47,210 crimes were recorded in the first sixth months of the financial year - 5,977 fewer than in the same period in 2006.

Violent crime was down 19 per cent from 14,393 last year to 11,649 in 2007, sexual offences fell from 638 to 534 and racially or religiously aggravated offences dropped from 525 to 458.

House burglaries also dropped by more than 11 per cent from 2,354 to 2,086, vehicle thefts decreased by seven per cent (1,581 to 1,468) and thefts from vehicles fell two per cent (3,617 to 3,544).

Assistant Chief Constable Douglas Paxton said: "These excellent figures – which show a significant drop in crime across the board – are a tribute to Staffordshire's police officers, staff and volunteers who work in co-operation with our partners and communities."

The authority was also told that almost 83 per cent of people who took part in a survey about the force had expressed overall satisfaction with the service they received from police.

Police time spent on front-line duties for the financial year 2006-07 rose to 73 per cent from 66 per cent in 2005/06. The force's ongoing battle against serious and organised crime saw a major increase in money and property seized from offenders. Officers stripped criminals of £1.59 million through cash forfeiture and confiscation orders.