Robberies in South Kesteven have doubled and crime is up in Rutland
The number of robberies in South Kesteven has more than doubled, according to the latest police recorded crime statistics.
Office for National Statistics data shows there were 42 reported robberies between July 2017 and March 2018.
These can include muggings, as well as more serious attacks such as hold ups with guns and knives.
That figure is up 110 per cent on 2016/17, when 20 incidents were recorded.
The statistics are based on crimes recorded with the police, and the ONS urges caution in interpreting some of these figures.
Some offences go unreported while others may be more numerous due to a change in the focus of the police or greater public attention.
However statisticians said there appears to be a genuine rise in robberies.
Joe Traynor, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "Over recent decades, we've seen continued falls in overall levels of crime but in the last year the trend has been more stable.
"We saw rises in some types of theft and in some lower-volume but higher-harm types of violence."
Overall, police recorded crime in South Kesteven increased between July 2017 and June 2018.
Over the 12 month period, 6,638 crimes were recorded, up by 11 per cent on 2016/17.
That means there was a rate of 47 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2017-18, below the England and Wales average of 84.
Gun and knife possession offences in South Kesteven rose by 18 to 71 incidents.
There has been one homicide, a murder or manslaughter. There were three cases of death or injury by dangerous driving.
Across England and Wales, the number of recorded homicides rose by 14 per cent, reflecting an "upward trend" since 2014. These figures excluded people who died in terror attacks.
There was a nine per cent increase in offences with knives or sharp objects, leading to the the highest number of incidents since March 2011, when comparable records started.
In South Kesteven theft, one of the most high volume crimes, increased by 19 per cent. Drugs related offences dropped by six per cent.
Commenting on the national figures, Chief Constable Bill Skelly, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Rising crime is placing greater demand on policing, as forces strive to reduce crime as well as respond to a growing terrorist threat.
"There are also more calls from the public for help, including responding to people in crisis when other agencies lack their own capacity."
Mr Skelly said the gap in numbers between reported crimes and criminals being charged is a "real concern for us".
"The upcoming spending review is a crucial opportunity for the Government and police leaders to come to a consensus about police demand, our capabilities to meet it and the funding required," he added.
Criminal damage in South Kesteven, which includes arson and vandalising cars and houses, has gone up, from 884 incidents in 2016-17, to 904 in the latest figures.
While violence with injury, which includes assault, GBH and wounding, has risen, this could just be due to improved police recording as opposed to an increase in incidents.
Similarly sexual crime statistics are hard to judge as many more victims are now coming forward due to a series of high profile cases.
In South Kesteven there were 261 incidents recorded between July 2017 and June 2018, a 29 per cent rise on the previous year, when 202 crimes were reported.
There were also 225 cases of stalking and harassment reported over the same period.
John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation for England and Wales, commented: "It didn’t take a crystal ball to predict these shocking increases because they only reflect what we have been telling the Government for years – we need more boots on the ground."
Labour described the ONS statistics as "truly shocking" and accused the Tories of "failing in their duty to protect the public and keep our citizens safe".
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "These figures are a tragic indictment of this Tory government's policies."
Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: "This Government is determined to tackle all types of crime - and although the chance of being a victim remains low, we are taking decisive action in a number of areas.
The Government announced a £200 million Youth Endowment Fund to support "young people at risk of involvement in crime".
Mr Hurd added: "On top of this, we are consulting on a public health approach to serious violence and giving police extra powers to tackle knife crime through our Offensive Weapons Bill."
There were 1,306 reported offences between July 2017 and June 2018, data from the Office for National Statistics shows.
That's up by 9 per cent on the previous year, when 1,202 incidents were recorded.
That means there was a rate of 33 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2017-18, below the England and Wales average of 84.
The statistics are based on crimes reported to the police, and the ONS urges caution in interpreting some of these figures.
Some offences go unreported while others may be more numerous due to a change in the focus of the police or greater public attention.
However the ONS believes crimes such as burglary and theft, which are generally well reported and recorded, have genuinely increased.
Joe Traynor, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "Over recent decades, we've seen continued falls in overall levels of crime but in the last year the trend has been more stable.
"We saw rises in some types of theft and in some lower-volume but higher-harm types of violence."
Gun and knife possession offences in Rutland rose by five to 10 incidents.
There were 112 residential burglaries reported in 2017-18. Due to a change in how the ONS categorises burglaries, the localised figures cannot be compared with other years.
There have been no homicides, which are murders or manslaughters.
Across England and Wales, the number of recorded homicides rose by 14 per cent, reflecting an "upward trend" since 2014. These figures excluded people who died in terror attacks.
There was a 9 per cent increase in offences with knives or sharp objects, leading to the the highest number of incidents since March 2011, when comparable records started.
In Rutland theft, one of the most high volume crimes, increased by 25 per cent. Drugs related offences dropped by 9 per cent.
Commenting on the national figures, Chief Constable Bill Skelly, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Rising crime is placing greater demand on policing, as forces strive to reduce crime as well as respond to a growing terrorist threat.
"There are also more calls from the public for help, including responding to people in crisis when other agencies lack their own capacity."
Mr Skelly said the gap in numbers between reported crimes and criminals being charged is a "real concern for us".
"The upcoming spending review is a crucial opportunity for the Government and police leaders to come to a consensus about police demand, our capabilities to meet it and the funding required," he added.
Criminal damage in Rutland, which includes arson and vandalising cars and houses, has gone down, from 173 incidents in 2016-17, to 141 in the latest figures.
While violence with injury, which includes assault, GBH and wounding, has dropped, however it is tough to judge as police recording in this area has improved over the last couple of years.
Similarly sexual crime statistics are hard to judge as many more victims are now coming forward due to a series of high profile cases.
In Rutland there were 49 incidents recorded between July 2017 and June 2018, a 23 per cent rise on the previous year, when 40 crimes were reported.
There were also 98 cases of stalking and harassment reported over the same period.
John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation for England and Wales, commented: "It didn’t take a crystal ball to predict these shocking increases because they only reflect what we have been telling the Government for years – we need more boots on the ground."
Labour described the ONS statistics as "truly shocking" and accused the Tories of "failing in their duty to protect the public and keep our citizens safe".
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "These figures are a tragic indictment of this Tory government's policies."
Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: "This Government is determined to tackle all types of crime - and although the chance of being a victim remains low, we are taking decisive action in a number of areas.
The Government announced a £200 million Youth Endowment Fund to support "young people at risk of involvement in crime".
Mr Hurd added: "On top of this, we are consulting on a public health approach to serious violence and giving police extra powers to tackle knife crime through our Offensive Weapons Bill."
