HERTFORDSHIRE CRIME LEVELS, FIREARM OFFENCES AND HOMICIDES CONTINUE TO FALL


HERTFORDSHIRE has some of the lowest levels of firearm offences and homicides in the country according to official figures issued by the Home Office.

The 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2008/9' report showed that there had been 6 murders in 2008/9, down from 11 in 2004/5. This equates to 5.6 offences per million population compared to a national rate of 12 offences per million.

In 2008/9 there were just 68 firearms offences in Hertfordshire – down from 139 in 2004/5. This equates to 6.3 offences per hundred thousand population compared to 15.1 offences per hundred thousand population nationally.

In an accompanying Home Office report covering crime statistics for the period July to September 2009, Hertfordshire mirrored national patterns of falling crime with home burglaries falling by 6%, robbery falling by 12% and overall crime falling by 6% compared to the same period in 2008.

Stuart Nagler, Chair of Herts Police Authority said: "These are excellent figures for Hertfordshire. The low rates of firearm and homicide offences reinforce our position that Hertfordshire is still one of the safest counties in the country.”

Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said: “Whilst these figures reflect the fact that we live in a relatively prosperous county they also reflect the hard work of police officers, police staff and specials who, together with our partners, are working proactively to reduce crime and target the few offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime. We shall continue to work hard at ensuring that Hertfordshire remains a hostile environment for criminals to operate in.”
January 2010