CRIME in Chester has dropped by nearly 10 per cent in the last year following a major police blitz in the city.
Almost 2,300 fewer crimes have been committed in and around Chester in the past 11 months compared to the same time last year, according to the latest figures released by Cheshire Police.
Police officers say the number of crimes recorded from April 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010 is 20,767, compared to 23,010 last year - a reduction of almost 10 per cent.
Detective chief inspector Andrew Southcott, Cheshire Police western area crime manager, said the figures were “very encouraging".
He said: "The reduction in crime as a whole is down to the work of our officers and specialist teams who target areas where crime has been reported in the past and carry out operations to disrupt the activities of known criminals.
“Working with the community and partner agencies, we can gather more information and evidence about crime being committed in the communities such as drug supply and use, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
“I would encourage people to continue reporting incidents to us and pass on information they have about offenders.”
DCI Southcott said despite the fall in crime, the force would not “rest on their laurels” and warned that they still faced challenges ahead.
Burglary remains the highest priority for the western area, with figures showing an increase on last year’s statistics.
Operations to tackle burglary have been running across the area involving a dedicated team of officers who deal with investigating burglaries and bringing offenders to justice.
He said: "We work closely with victims, witnesses and the Crown Prosecution Service to take those responsible to court.
"However, our neighbourhood policing teams also play a large part in preventing burglaries in the first place. A significant number of burglaries in the western area are the result of unlocked doors and windows, not only at night and during the evening but during the day.
“Sneak-in thefts are when offenders walk through an unlocked door and steal small, portable items such as laptops and handbags. Often, simple measures like keeping doors locked are the most affective tool s in preventing crime.
“The neighbourhood policing teams work with the community to promote awareness of security and give residents the knowledge and tools to avoid becoming the victim of crime.”
The area has also seen car and key burglaries over the past 12 months, where offenders break into houses to steal keys for cars on the driveway.
DCI Southcott said: “We have sent out information to the communities about keeping their car keys out of sight of doors and windows. But there are also several operations running to combat this. Both covert and overt tactics are being used to tackle these types of burglaries.”
Other aspects of crime which have dropped over the last 12 months include, vehicle crime, which has reduced by 310 crimes and criminal damage which is down by 853 crimes.
DCI Southcott told the Leader that with the use of section 27 of the Criminal Justice Act 'notices to quit' - which gives police the power to remove someone they believe could cause an offence from the city centre and ban them from re-entering within 24 hours - helped to drive down crime over the usually busy festive Christmas period.
Anti-social behaviour in Chester and the surrounding areas was also reduced due to better co-operation from the public and early intervention from the force.
DCI Southcott added: "We are keen to listen and respond to issues affecting people in the area. It is about making sure we get a grip of a situation before it gets out of control and target it and respond effectively."
Burglary remains the highest priority for the western area, with figures showing an increase on last year’s statistics.
Operations to tackle burglary have been running across the area involving a dedicated team of officers who deal with investigating burglaries and bringing offenders to justice.
He said: "We work closely with victims, witnesses and the Crown Prosecution Service to take those responsible to court.
"However, our neighbourhood policing teams also play a large part in preventing burglaries in the first place. A significant number of burglaries in the western area are the result of unlocked doors and windows, not only at night and during the evening but during the day.
“Sneak-in thefts are when offenders walk through an unlocked door and steal small, portable items such as laptops and handbags. Often, simple measures like keeping doors locked are the most affective tool s in preventing crime.
“The neighbourhood policing teams work with the community to promote awareness of security and give residents the knowledge and tools to avoid becoming the victim of crime.”
The area has also seen car and key burglaries over the past 12 months, where offenders break into houses to steal keys for cars on the driveway.
DCI Southcott said: “We have sent out information to the communities about keeping their car keys out of sight of doors and windows. But there are also several operations running to combat this. Both covert and overt tactics are being used to tackle these types of burglaries.”
Other aspects of crime which have dropped over the last 12 months include, vehicle crime, which has reduced by 310 crimes and criminal damage which is down by 853 crimes.
DCI Southcott told the Leader that the Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act gives police officers the power to direct someone to leave an area for a maximum of 48 hours if they believe their presence is likely to cause or to contribute to the occurrence of alcohol related crime or disorder.
DCI Southcott added: "We are keen to listen and respond to issues affecting people in the area. It is about making sure we get a grip of a situation before it gets out of control and target it and respond effectively."