Police repond after latest figures show rise in crime aross Chesterfield

Derbyshire Constabulary recorded 9,846 offences in Chesterfield in the 12 months to June, according to the Office for National Statistics. That was an increase of 9% compared to the previous year, when there were 9,061. And, at 93.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 91.3.

The figures come as a victim support group says “women deserve better” after a sharp rise in violent and sexual offences led to a record high for police-recorded crime in England and Wales. Of the crimes recorded in Chesterfield over the last 12 months, 376 were sexual offences – an increase of 18% from the year before. Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 3,677 to 4,137 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 24%, from 1,254 incidents to 1,550. Across England and Wales there were 70,600 rape offences recorded in the year to June, another record high and an increase of 20% from 59,046 in 2019-20. The number has nearly doubled in just over six years, from 36,321 in 2015-16.

Reacting to the figures, Diana Fawcett, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: “This huge increase in sexual violence, in particular rape, reported to the police is seriously alarming and a stark reminder that the government needs to get a grip on staggeringly low conviction rates and horrendous court delays. Nationally, domestic-abuse related offences totalled 912,181 in the year to June, up 6% on the previous 12 months and up 14% in 2019-20. Some of this increase “may reflect improvements seen in recording and reporting over the last few years,” the ONS added.

Theft offences in Chesterfield rose by 3%, with 2,538 incidents recorded in the 12 months to June. At 24.2 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 26.5.

Other crimes recorded in Chesterfield included: 376 sexual offences, a rise of 18%; 4,137 violent offences, a rise of 13%; 989 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 1%; 232 drug offences, down 21%; 110 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 38%; 1,195 public order offences, up 22%; 2,538 theft offences, a rise of 3% and 1,508 stalking and harassment offences, up 2%.

MORE NEWS: Iconic Spitfire takes to the skies again after £3m restoration by Derbyshire aircraft enthusiast

Chief Superintendent Dave Kirby who oversees policing for the north of the county said: “We welcome these statistics, which help to provide a benchmark of how the force is performing across a number of areas in comparison to the wider country and in comparison to previous years within Derbyshire. Some of these figures may appear quite alarming, and so it is very important to look at them in context to ensure that they are not misleading.

“In terms of overall crime, the number of recorded offences in Chesterfield is showing a downward trend over time. If we compare statistics from the 12 months to March 2022 with the figures in question, which show the 12 months to June 2022, we can see a reduction from 10,004 to 9,846. Again, the recorded crime per 1000 people has reduced in the same time periods (95.3 in March 2022 versus 93.8 in June 2022). Although these figures are slightly above the national average, the force is committed to providing a quality service to victims and to tackle crime in all its forms. This is evidenced in part by our close adherence to the national crime recording standards.

“Another consideration is the effect of the national lockdowns, which were in place during the previous 12-month period (June 2020-21). Recorded crime was low in all force areas during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly where victims were less able to report crimes to the police and other agencies, for example those experiencing domestic abuse. Unfortunately it follows that as life has returned to normal, we will see an increase in those violent and sexual offences which are linked to the night-time economy.

“However, our officers have a night-time economy strategy which includes the patrolling of hotspot areas across the town centre and working with closely with businesses and licenced premises to prevent offences. We have also seen a welcome increase in the willingness of victims to report sexual offences, violent crime, and stalking and harassment offences, which is partly due to the continued work and high profile of the strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) after cases such as the Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa murders.

“The public now have a better understanding of what behaviour constitutes an offence, and staff have had further specialist training to ensure that they are able to offer support to survivors and provide the best outcome for victims through a combination of safeguarding, diversionary tactics, and the criminal justice system. We have taken a proactive approach to tackling violent crime in the last year and an increase in possession of weapon offences in Chesterfield can be attributed to the enforcement and education work involved in initiatives such as Operation Wintershield and Operation Sceptre which tackle knife crime.

“The force has also taken part in the national firearms surrender to ensure that there are fewer weapons available on Derbyshire’s streets, and day to day this continues as officers work with regional, national, and international partners to disrupt the supply of firearms and help find those who are carrying weapons. As we welcome new officers into the Constabulary as part of the policing uplift project, we will be better resourced to continue working with the local community, partners and businesses to ensure Chesterfield remains a safe place for all.”