Wolverhampton gun crime and robbery figures fall

The biggest downward trend was robberies which dropped by almost 25 per cent, while gun crime fell by 20 per cent, house burglaries by nearly 13 per cent and vehicle crime by 14 per cent.

Welcoming the new figures, Chief Inspector Tracey Packham, of Wolverhampton Police, said a large part of their success was due to the force's close working relationship with residents as well as with organisations like the city council, Wolverhampton Homes and local businesses.

On a neighbourhood level, All Saints and Blakenhall had seen the biggest drop in crime last year – more than 20 per cent – followed by the city centre – by almost 10 per cent – while anti-social behaviour had plummeted by almost half in some areas.

The Heath Town and Park Village area is the only community where crime has gone up – by more than 15 per cent.

Across the West Midlands in general, the number of crimes has increased slightly – by two per cent – but is significantly below the national average where offences have risen by six per cent.

Ch Insp Packham said the success in securing a Black Country High Court injunction to prevent car cruising had recently led to several convictions. Officers had also worked with the council and Wolverhampton Homes to secure two public space protection orders to tackle nuisance problems.

She said: "These orders impose conditions on the use of the area that apply to everyone, and have been utilised in two areas of the city that have suffered long-term anti-social behaviour problems which has blighted the lives of local residents.

"We are currently monitoring the impact of this new legislative power to determine its effectiveness before considering further use of it on other areas."

The police chief said the significant increase in serious sexual offences – up by 32 per cent – and the rise of almost seven per cent in domestic violence was down to the greater likelihood of victims reporting attacks. She called it a 'positive indicator'.