Northamptonshire Police sees rise in number of violent crimes reported, data reveals

New figures released show that violent crime as a whole has increased in the last year in Northamptonshire, although there have been significant decreases in certain offences.

Northamptonshire Police recorded 10,832 incidents of violent crime in Northampton in the 12 months to June 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year.

At 48.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 31.6.

However, one of the main factors behind the increase in Northamptonshire was the rise in reports being made about stalking and harassment, which rose by 61 percent, from 2,262 incidents to 3,643.

Offences of violence without injury were recorded 4,304 times, an increase of three percent on the previous year, and violence with injury on 2,877 occasions, down by five percent.

There were four homicides, which include murders and manslaughters, the same number as in the previous 12 months.

Nick Stripe, head of crime statistics at the ONS, said the figures showed overall reductions in the reporting and recording of many crime types during periods of lockdown.

However, reports of fraud and hacking continued to rise – something the ONS previously suggested was due to criminals taking advantage of behavioural changes during the pandemic, while many took to online shopping amid lockdowns when there were restrictions on movement.

The total number of offences in Northampton increased by four percent, with police recording 24,985 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 111.4 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 81.3.

Other crimes recorded in Northampton included:

1,198 sexual offences, a rise of 22 percent

6,325 theft offences, down 15 percent

2,240 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down five percent

831 drug offences, down 23 percent

285 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up seven percent

2,318 public order offences, up 51 percent

The ONS figures show 61,158 rapes were recorded across England and Wales in the 12 months to June – the highest recorded annual figure to date, and up by 10 percent from 55,779 the year before.

The second-highest number of sexual offences was also recorded over the period (164,763) – an eight percent increase on the previous year.

The ONS urged caution when interpreting the data.

Mr Stripe added: “The rise could be due to an increase in victim reporting as lockdowns eased, an increase in the number of victims, or to an increase in victims’ willingness to report incidents, potentially as a result of high-profile cases and campaigns in recent times.”

Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the charity Victim Support, said: “Much more needs to be done urgently to tackle both these offences and to ensure that those who come forward and report them are able to access justice.”