Good news on crime rate

"This is good news!" sector commander Inspector Max Mosley told last Thursday's meeting of Bexhill Police Community Consultative Group.

He added: "It is one of the more up-beat reports I have done for you."

The overall one per cent drop - down to 3,069 reported crimes - meant that there were 35 fewer victims of crime in the town than in the previous year, he said.

Domestic burglaries were down by two per cent on the rolling year to March.

Burglary from the commercial sector was down by 28 per cent.

Theft from vehicles was down by 17 per cent to 399 cases.

Theft of vehicles went down by 74 reports to 127.

Other good news included robbery - down 11 per cent to 33 reports.

But shoplifting was up by eight to 214, a four per cent rise, and crimes of violence were up by 34 to 377, a 10 per cent rise. This figure had been affected by increased reporting of domestic violence.

Drug offences were up by 24 per cent - but this was five cases, the total being just 26.

The most significant increase was in criminal damage - up by 19 per cent, an extra 99 on the previous year. The total of 625 reports meant that targeting this sector of crime would be a key feature of the coming year.

Targeted, intelligence-led police activity against persistent criminals was the answer, Inspector Mosley said. "Only five per cent of the population commits crime. Only 25 per cent of these individuals are active all the time.

"We need to take these individuals out of the action."

In his report to the meeting he said: "Our team at Bexhill continues to achieve some significant results in targeted police work over the last three months.

".....our plan is to exploit economies of scale by coming together in teams to focus on directed activity against criminals. This style of police work does work...

"This one per cent decrease overall means that there were 35 less victims than at this time last year. There were 3,069 recorded victims of crime compared with 3,194 last April.

"These figures might not sound a lot but I am sure than members will agree that they are a welcome achievement.

"At this time last year there had been an increase in reported crime of three per cent which continued to increase to nine per cent in August.

"I believe that with the continued cooperation of the public that we can continue to reverse the trend in reported crime on our sector."

He added: "I believe that these figures are the result of continued targeted police work on behalf of my team and, more importantly, because of the increased flow of information from the public.

"I am therefore grateful for the support given us by the Bexhill Observer which helps publicise appeals for witnesses as well as Home Office advice on not being a victim.

"The figures show my repeated exhortations for the public to help are beginning to bear fruit in Bexhill, particularly as there are comparatively few people who commit crime in this area. We use our resources in the best possible way by arresting those key individuals who commit crime, thereby reducing the number of victims in the town."