Crime continues to fall in Gwent

This represents the biggest reduction in Wales, and the 3rd biggest fall out of the 43 Forces in Wales and England. The figures which look at data for the 12 months to June 2011 reveal there were around 15 fewer victims of crime per day in Gwent for that period.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Prince commented:

"As a Force we are extremely pleased that crime continues to fall in Gwent. We have made some excellent progress in tackling and preventing crime and increasing people's confidence in the service we provide.
This has been achieved with fewer staff, and at a time when we've had to make considerable financial savings to address a reduced budget.

As ever the reduction is a real team effort. Continued reductions on this scale would not be possible without the dedication of the officers and staff of Gwent Police, our partners across Gwent and, most importantly, people who live and work here, who support us in protecting their communities.

Gwent Police is quickly earning a reputation as one of the best performing Forces in the country, and we intend to build on this success."

In regards to the figures there were notable reductions in key areas such as:

Violence against the person - down by 13% or 1178 fewer victims
Vehicle crime - down 20% or 1452 fewer victims
Criminal Damage - down 19% or 2020 fewer victims
Robbery - down by 17% or 39 fewer victims

There was also further success in our campaign to reduce burglaries, down 12% or 911 fewer burglaries during this period. This reduction is due in large part to a number of prolific burglars being arrested and convicted for their crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Prince added: "The continued reduction in violent crime is a very positive development. Areas of Gwent are often unfairly portrayed as having a reputation for violence. The 13% decrease in violence against the person shows that initiatives such as increased checks at licensed premises and devoting more resources to town centres at night are working. A decrease of nearly one fifth in Criminal damage and vehicle crime is also very welcome news. These decreases are a result of the Force, partner agencies and the public working together.

In summary while we are pleased that our work has helped bring yet another drop in crime we are not complacent. We know we still have a lot of work to do and in the current financial climate the challenges ahead will be even more difficult.

However I'm sure that we can continue to provide a service which makes a real difference to people's lives."

Cilla Davies, Chair of the Gwent Police Authority, added: "On behalf of the Authority I pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of Gwent officers and staff. The continued reduction in crime is very welcome news, especially at a time when the Force is facing some significant financial challenges. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Officer team to ensure that the Force provides the best possible Police service for the residents of Gwent."