Crime down 10 per cent in Ballymoney
Thursday, 3 July 2008
OVERALL Crime in the Ballymoney Borough Council area has dropped almost 10% this year compared to the previous year according to the latest figures contained in the District Policing Partnerships 12 month report.
Unusually however the figures were not revealed at a local public meeting where DPP members and interested members of the public could have the usual opportunity to question police and voice concerns.
Two meetings did occur, a public H District wide meeting was held in Ballymena last Thursday after a private meeting of the DPP held in Ballymoney. This was to encourage DPP members from different districts to come together to explore common issues.
The crime year runs from April to March and these figures compare the recent 07/08 with the 06/07 figures.
Ballymoney PSNI Area Commander Chief |nspector David Wallace said "I am pleased to report a substantial reduction in crime this year and particularly so with Criminal Damage and Offences against the Person.
“Police will be faced in the coming year with the challenge of working with a large reduction in the Police overtime budget but I am confident that this can be achieved with careful monitoring."
Over all 956 crimes were committed in Ballymoney compared to 1054 the previous year, a drop of 9.3% The over all clearance rate for crimes has dropped from 23.5% to 19.7% which Chief Inspector Wallace puts down to the fact that non -sanctioned clearances cannot be included in the 07/08 figures because of the new counting rules. For example if a person dropped charges before it would have counted as a clearance, now it does not.
The clearance rate for violent crime improved slightly from 27.3% to 28.2% but the target of a 2% improvement was not reached. There were 262 incidents of violent crime in 07/08 compared to 296 the previous year, a drop of 11.5%.
