News Release
Crime continues to fall in South Tyneside
Dated: 05 Apr 2012
Crime in South Tyneside is down, latest figures reveal. There were 900 fewer victims of crime in the borough with total crime falling by more than 11%.
Chief Superintendent Ian Dawes, from South Tyneside Area Command, said: "South Tyneside has once again achieved excellent crime figures with reductions in most categories.
"With over 900 fewer crimes compared to last year, the borough quite rightly maintains its reputation as one of the safest places to live with hundreds of fewer victims of crime and more people feeling confident and satisfied in their local police.
"Detection rates are also up by 15% reflecting the dedication of officers in tackling all types of crime.
"As well as the efforts of officers and staff, reductions have been made possible through working closely with our partners and most importantly, South Tyneside residents.
"While there has been a significant increase in drug crime, this can be attributed to proactive operations to target illegal drugs and their supply with us also encouraging people to come forward with information that can be acted on.
"Work is ongoing to tackle burglary, which has seen a slight rise, through a forcewide month-long crackdown on the offence across April.
"As always we would urge residents to help us to continue to drive down crime by following advice to avoid becoming a victim. Figures show 42% of burglaries in South Tyneside happen as a result of properties being left insecure. Simple security measures such as locking your door can bring this figure down.
"I would also ask residents to report any suspicious activity to us. By working together, we can make sure crime continues to fall each year in South Tyneside."