There were more than 4,000 fewer crimes in the Thames Valley last year, according to national figures released today.
While police forces nationally saw a 1.3 per cent reduction in crime in the 12 months leading up to March 2013, Thames Valley Police reduced crime by 3.2 per cent.
There were 131,764 recorded offences in 2012/13, which dropped to 127,490 in 2013/14.
Thames Valley Police published its crime statistics on 8 April, and today (17/7) these have been verified by the Home Office and compared to the other forces in England and Wales.
Overall, crime in the Thames Valley is at its lowest for 25 years according to statistics for offences recorded in the Force area in the 12 months to March 2014.
Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “In April we published our crime statistics which revealed that crime is at its lowest in the Thames Valley for 25 years.
“These statistics have now been verified by the Office for National Statistics and I am pleased to see that the Force is performing so well across a number of areas compared to other Forces in England and Wales.”
Thames Valley Police saw the second largest reduction in England and Wales for domestic burglary offences. These have decreased by 19.8 per cent compared to a national decrease of 6.7 per cent.
This means there were 1,401 fewer victims of domestic burglary in the Thames Valley.
The Force had the fifth-largest reduction in the country for robbery offences; a decrease of 16.9 per cent compared to a national drop of 11.3 per cent.
It also had the sixth largest decrease in England and Wales for non-domestic burglary offences; reduced by 9.6 per cent compared to a national decrease of 0.6 per cent.
There was a rise in the number of sexual offences recorded in Thames Valley of 31.2 per cent, compared to a 19.7 per cent increase nationally. The number of recorded offences continues to be influenced by the allegations against celebrities and the subsequent successful prosecutions resulting in greater reporting of historical offences.
Public order offences fell by 9.5 per cent in the Thames Valley compared to a 1.7 per cent increase across the country.
Bicycle theft was reduced by 8.4 per cent; a drop from 5,639 to 5,163 compared to a national increase of 0.4 per cent.
Chief Constable Thornton said: “The fact that crime continues to drop and in some areas the reduction is greater than the national average shows that the tireless work of Thames Valley police officers and staff is paying off. I want to thank all my officers and staff for their continued hard work, and the public for their help which is invaluable to the work we do.
“I am very pleased with the Force’s performance but of course we will continue to work tirelessly to detect and prevent crime, to protect the public and bring offenders to justice.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Anthony Stansfeld said: “I am delighted that the Office of National Statistics has verified that crime in the Thames Valley is at its lowest in 25 years. This is an impressive performance and I would like to say thank you to all officers, staff and volunteers for their hard work.
“As one of my key priorities I am particularly pleased to see another significant drop in domestic burglary.
“This drop in crime has been achieved despite considerable budget reductions and demonstrates how well Thames Valley Police are using their resources, including new technology.”
