FIGURES SHOW A DROP IN RECORDED CRIMES

Fall Comes Despite New Recording Rules

The total number of recorded of crimes in Wellingborough is starting to
fall, despite new rules which mean more incidents are recorded.

There were 789 recorded crimes in the borough in April, 2002. Latest
figures show there were 758 in September.

The fall comes despite new measures introduced by the Home Office on April
1 which mean incidents not previously recorded as crimes, including common
assault, are now included.

In May there was a leap in the number to 826, and 853 in June, partly
because the new categories were taken into account.

The latest figures were revealed at a meeting of Wellingborough' Community
Safety Forum last night, a partnership between police, Wellingborough
Council and voluntary organisations.

At the meeting, held at the Hemmingwell Community Centre in Nest Farm
Crescent, Wellingborough police area commander Chief Supt Mac McCulley
said: " The new categories led to an approximate 22 per cent increase, with
crimes such as common assault now recorded as a criminal offence. While the
Government's attempts to identify the real extent of crime on a community
can be recognised by such measures, it has made like for like comparisons
with offences for last year a redundant exercise."

Since April in the borough, 26 drug dealers have been arrested and
AUKP4,000 of class A and AUKP18,000 of class B drugs have been seized.

House burglaries are down from 198 to 166, while personal attacks such as
intimidation have remained about the same (119 in April to 117 in
September). Targets for the partnership by 2005 are to increase the amount
of heroin and crack cocaine seized by 45 per cent, reduce the number of
house burglaries from 26 per thousand households (the current figure) to 12
per thousand, and reduce the number of personal attacks from 14 per
thousand to nine per thousand.

Janet Doran, Wellingborough Council head of community development, said: "
Community safety is about us working together to reduce crime."