Northamptonshire Police only one of 43 England and Wales forces to see crime figures FALL last year

Northamptonshire is the ONLY police force in England and Wales where overall crime fell in the year to June 2022.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed crime nationally rose by an average of 12.9 per cent but DROPPED by 0.6 percent here. Chief Constable Nick Adderley also revealed that there were 9,500 fewer reports of anti-social behaviour — down 8.2 percent — and a 16 percent reduction in knife crime.

Arrest rates for domestic abuse have risen steadily year on year to 35.2 percent, a significant improvement on the previous 12 months while a proactive strategy to tackle serious organised crime led to more firearms being seized, large numbers of drug factories closed down and 16 County Lines drugs gangs broken up All these crime types were identified as the Chief’s Matters of Priority in 2021-22.

Mr Adderley said: “I’m really pleased to say that Northamptonshire Police is fast being recognised as one of the most progressive forces in the country. These figures come against a backdrop that we are of one of five forces rated as good in terms of our crime data recording, so people can be confident this ONS data is wholly accurate.

“I made it clear when I took over in 2018 that I wanted Northamptonshire Police to be a proactive force that goes out and deals with these issues when they happen and that’s exactly what we are now doing.”

Significantly, Northamptonshire has climbed from 34th to eighth in a table of forces in terms of its ability to detect crime, a step change from 2018 when inspectors judged the force was unable to investigate crime.

Mr Adderley, who is set to continue in his role beyond 2023 when his contract ends, also reported an 11.6 percent fall in residential break-ins and a 14.1 percent drop in commercial burglaries. The official data shows that residents in Northamptonshire are now less likely to be a victim of crime than most parts of the country despite a 6.3 percent population growth — significantly higher than the national average.

Overall, violent crime accounts for 45 percent of all offences, one third of which relates to domestic abuse. However, the number of violent offences recorded last year fell by two per cent in 2021-22, placing Northamptonshire second in the table of 43 forces. Theft, which continues to fall, makes up around one in every four county crimes

Earlier this year, the Chief Constable announced his ‘Matters of Priority’ for the next three years tackling violence against women and girls, serious violence, serious and organised crime and drug harm,. He revealed:

■ 90 per cent victim satisfaction levels in domestic abuse cases

■ 1,294 knives taken off the streets in the last three months and a high conviction rate for offenders

■ Significant numbers of firearms seized and more than 130 people safeguarded from modern slavery

■ 1,486 drug seizures linked to criminality during a three-month crackdown

Mr Adderley added: “I’m more than aware there is still work to be done, but thanks to the hard work of police officers and staff we are absolutely going in the right direction.”