Sex offences increase despite crime fall

The pandemic has caused a fall in crime rates in Hartlepool

Cleveland Police recorded 335 incidents of sexual offences in the 12 months to September, according to the Office for National Statistics – a 15% increase on the previous year.

The total number of offences in Hartlepool fell by nine per cent, with police recording 11,481 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 122.6 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 83.5.

Crimes recorded in the area included:

*4,136 violent offences, a rise of one per cent.

*3,372 theft offences, down 31%.

*1,658 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up two per cent.

*394 drug offences, up 24%.

121 firearms or knife possessions, up four per cent.

*1,047 public order offences, up 28%.

Nationally, police recorded six per cent fewer crime – around 5.7 million offences.

Helen Ross, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “The coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown restrictions have resulted in fluctuations in the level of crime.

“The data showed decreases in crime at the start of the pandemic, with rises seen over the summer months, specifically in theft, following the easing of lockdown measures, with overall crime now back at pre-lockdown levels of January to March 2020.

“There were also fluctuations in police recorded crime, but total recorded offences for July to September 2020 were below that seen in the same period in 2019.”

The ONS said an annual 3% drop in recorded knife crime nationally was largely down to a 22% decrease in April to June.

However, this was followed by a sharp increase in the three months to September.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s warned that offences could “erupt” once the latest lockdown is eased.

Chief executive Javed Khan said: “Children and young people have spent months out of school and away from their support networks, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation and control by criminal gangs.

“With rising unemployment and poor job prospects, some young people are finding it hard to believe in a positive future, and see no alternative but to turn to dangerous ways of making money, carrying knives to protect themselves.”