07 Jun With the highest police headcount in history, violent crime has fallen by double digits in Basildon
Stephen Metcalfe has welcomed the news that Basildon has seen double digit decreases in violent crime from April 2023 to April 2024 – thanks to an increased number of police officers, new specialised intelligence operations and a £1.1 million investment in Hotspot Policing.
This week in Basildon District Police’s Dispatch Newsletter, it was revealed that violent crime was falling by double digits.
The figures from April 2023 to April 2024 show that public order offences are down 28.3%, anti-social behaviour offences are down 18.4%, robbery is down 17%, incidents of criminal damage are down 12.3%, hate crime is down 24%, and there were 33 fewer reports of weapons offences.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “Credit goes out to the fantastic men and women working at Essex Police in Basildon District. With the highest headcount in Essex Police history and an increased £1.1 million Hotspot Policing drive, we are seeing some really positive results with double digit decreases in violent crime year-on-year.
I want to make sure that we continue to tackle crime head on with community policing and local initiatives. Simply, it works.
Operation Stronghold, targetting anti-social behaviour, as well as Operation Sceptre, targetting knife crime, have both seen strong results.
It’s also great to hear that there is beginning to be a turning point on some of vehicle thefts we’ve seen. The Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit is acting strongly on this.”
Chief Inspector Dan McHugh said: “It’s not always easy, but in the last 12 months we’ve focussed on the most violent crimes through proactivity, targetted operations and hard work, and we’re seeing the fruits of our labour.
Across the force, Essex Police saw a 7.3% reduction in overall crime, but here in Basildon, we saw an above average reduction rate of 8.2%.
That’s testament to my hardworking officers who have focussed on the crimes that potentially result in the most threat, harm, or risk to our communities, to ensure intelligence-led policing activities prevent and detect crime and reduce that risk.
We’ll continue to work hard to build on the successes of the last 12 months and we’ll continue to work with our partners to achieve the outcomes we need to keep our residents, businesses and visitors safe.”
