Crime spike bucks trend of successful year
Monday, 16th January 2012.
After a highly successful year in reducing crime in Haverhill, police have been faced with a sudden dramatic increase in the last week or two.
The last week alone has seen 26 acquisitive crimes in the town, compared to a weekly average of 14. These include a house burglary, six shed burglaries and seven vehicle crimes.
The statistics are in stark contrast to those for the whole of 2011 across the Haverhill area, which showed big decreases in many areas, including acquisitive crimes, of which there were 763, compared with a yearly average of 848.
Individual crime figures were: domestic burglary 58 (ave 79); burglary other buildings 129 (ave 184); vehicle crime 201 (ave 203). Antisocial behaviour incidents also fell dramatically, with 1,525, compared with a yearly average of 1,809.
The latest increases have disappointed the town's new police chief, Insp Peter Ferrie.
"We've ticked along well since I arrived in October," he said, "but something seems to have happened over the past week or two, when we have seen a spike in acquisitive crimes.
"I have to get to the bottom of what that is and who's caused it. It could just be one offender, but we've got to catch them and stop them.
"Officers' duties will be changed to allow us to do that. Also, information from the public is absolutely crucial - anyone offered stolen property, but also people locking vehicles, houses, sheds etc. It's obvious but it pays dividends.
"If all the gates in Haverhill were locked, offenders could probably only commit two crimes in a night instead of four.
"I'm not hiding the fact that we've had a really bad week. So officers are on late shifts, out on foot and in plain clothes."
The last week alone has seen 26 acquisitive crimes in the town, compared to a weekly average of 14. These include a house burglary, six shed burglaries and seven vehicle crimes.
The statistics are in stark contrast to those for the whole of 2011 across the Haverhill area, which showed big decreases in many areas, including acquisitive crimes, of which there were 763, compared with a yearly average of 848.
Individual crime figures were: domestic burglary 58 (ave 79); burglary other buildings 129 (ave 184); vehicle crime 201 (ave 203). Antisocial behaviour incidents also fell dramatically, with 1,525, compared with a yearly average of 1,809.
The latest increases have disappointed the town's new police chief, Insp Peter Ferrie.
"We've ticked along well since I arrived in October," he said, "but something seems to have happened over the past week or two, when we have seen a spike in acquisitive crimes.
"I have to get to the bottom of what that is and who's caused it. It could just be one offender, but we've got to catch them and stop them.
"Officers' duties will be changed to allow us to do that. Also, information from the public is absolutely crucial - anyone offered stolen property, but also people locking vehicles, houses, sheds etc. It's obvious but it pays dividends.
"If all the gates in Haverhill were locked, offenders could probably only commit two crimes in a night instead of four.
"I'm not hiding the fact that we've had a really bad week. So officers are on late shifts, out on foot and in plain clothes."
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