Crime statistics released today show that crime is changing not falling.
Nationally, there has been a 6% increase in recorded crime and a 2% rise in the West Midlands.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “These statistics show once again that crime is changing and not falling.
“We are seeing a reduction in crimes like theft and robbery, with other crimes such as sexual offences and fraud rising in prevalence.
“Many of the crimes that are increasing in prevalence need much more intensive police work and investigation than ‘traditional crimes’ like theft or burglary.
“The government needs to recognise that the police are dealing with increasingly complex crimes that require intensive investigative work.
“Crime is changing not falling and police forces need to be supported properly so that they can tackle new threats as they emerge. We are modernising the force to deal with these new crimes and raising awareness to help people better protect themselves against offences such as fraud and cyber-crime.
“We are one of the only forces to be recruiting officers in significant numbers and have increased the force’s Public Protection Unit from 300 to over 800 officers.”
- Nationally, crime is up by 6% and in the West Midlands up by 2%. Also in the West Midlands, recorded sexual offences are up by 27% while robbery is down by 7%, theft down by 1% and criminal damage down by 1%. Read more here
