Crimestoppers! Hartlepool tops burglary reduction figures
Hartlepool has seen the biggest reduction in burglaries across England and Wales since 2002, according to research by Yorkshire Bank Home Insurance. Figures show that Hartlepool has seen the number of reported burglaries fall by almost two-thirds (65%) in the last 7 years, nearly double the national average. The North East region also saw the fewest reported burglaries.
Analysis of crime statistics for 375 Local Authorities by Yorkshire Bank Home Insurance shows that the number of burglaries in Hartlepool fell by 1,756 over the period of 2002 to 2009 to 962, a fall of 65%. The rate of offences committed also dropped by two-thirds (66%) to 10.53 offences per 1,000 population from 30.64 in 2002/3.
Over the same period the number of reported burglaries in England & Wales has fallen by around a third (35%). In 2002/3 there were over 887,500 reported burglaries, by 2009, that figure had fallen to 580,000 at a rate of around 9.8 per 1,000 population.
Hartlepool was narrowly ahead of the coastal resort of Eastbourne, which saw a fall of 63% and Stockton, Barnsley, Gosport and Middlesbrough which all saw falls of 61%. But they all still have some way to go to catch up with England & Wales' least burgled Local Authority. The Scilly Isles had just 6 recorded burglaries last year - fewer than 3 for every 1,000 people living there.
The North East came out as the region with the biggest percentage fall in reported burglaries. With a fall of 48% since 2002/3, the region was marginally ahead of Yorkshire & Humber, which saw a fall of 46%. The North East also had the lowest number of reported burglaries in 2008/9, while the South West saw the lowest rate; 7.49 per 1,000 population, compared to the average of 9.60 per 1,000 across the regions.
Ceredigion in Wales, came out as the Local Authority with the lowest rate of burglary. With 221 reported burglaries in 2008/09, the Welsh coastal area, home of Llandewi Brefi made famous by "Little Britain", saw just 2.84 burglaries per 1,000 population; fractionally lower than the Scilly Isles at 2.85. The average rate across England and Wales was approximately 9.60 per 1,000 population.
Overall, the Local Authority with the fewest reported burglaries is the Isles of Scilly. The remote islands saw only 6 burglaries last year. Three authorities in the North East featured in list of the 5 least burgled authorities in England and Wales; Teesdale, Alnwick and Berwick on Tweed.
Steve Fletcher, Head of Retail Banking at Yorkshire Bank, said: "It is great for anywhere to cut the number of burglaries, but to cut them by so much is a fantastic collaborative achievement by the community and police, particularly in Hartlepool which has experienced the biggest reduction in burglaries across England and Wales,
"We can all take sensible steps to protect our homes; like mortice locks, alarms and security lights, but the sad fact is, we can never be 100% secure. That's why it's important to have contents insurance, so that should the worst happen you don't have to pick up the bill too."