Winning the war on crime!

Monday 12 January 2015

Crime levels have hit a historic low after a fifth consecutive annual drop in recorded crime – 2014’s 3% drop means that the figures are now half what they were a decade ago.

Stats released by the cops this morning show that 2014 had the lowest level of recorded crime since records began in 1992, with burglary down 13%, bike thefts down 14% and serious road traffic collisions down 27%.

Police Chief Mike Bowron – who has seen a dramatic turnaround in both crime stats and Islanders’ perception of crime during his tenure – said that the States of Jersey Police would continue to fight hard to crack down on lawbreakers.

The stats for last year show that 3,192 crimes were recorded, less than half of the 6,640 crimes recorded in 2004.

Mr Bowron said that the figures gave him great pleasure, but that they would not lead his force into complacency.

He said: “It must be noted however that our calls to action by the public haven’t decreased and neither has the number of people brought through our custody suite.

“Rather, the nature of what we do has changed significantly and we as a Police Force must continually adapt to these demands. Last year we saw a huge increase in concerns for welfare and missing people, as well as a shift in traditional policing to include the online element of our daily work.”

The Chief congratulated his officers on their success, but added that he wanted the public to let them know what they felt they were doing well, and where they felt they had to improve.

Mr Bowron said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and staff for all their hard work over the year and of course to the public for their ongoing support. We always welcome your feedback and will continue to provide the service and professionalism you require and of course expect.”