Norfolk: Muggings and weapons crimes increase by 50%

There were 793 offences involving possession of weapons and 419 thefts from the person recorded by police in the year to September 2022. 

Both were up by 50pc compared with the previous 12 month period, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Norfolk police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie said the rises were a “great concern”.

Norfolk police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie and chief constable Paul Sanford (Image: Jason Bye)

The figures show the overall number of crimes during the period, excluding fraud, exceeded pre-pandemic levels to reach 69,208, up 4.8pc with an increase of 3,178 additional crimes.

Mr Orpen-Smellie said: “As we moved into a post pandemic world, it was not unforeseen to see the level of overall crime rise; however, it does not mean that we can dismiss a 4.8pc increase up to September 2022.

“In particular, I will be asking why there has been such a steep rise in possession of weapons offences. 

“While I understand that this is the first time we have seen an increase in the last three years with Norfolk still below national levels, it is of great concern that there has been a 51pc increase in this type of crime. An 18pc rise in theft offences also needs to be assessed.”

Violent crimes resulting in victims suffering injuries rose by 15pc in Norfolk (Image: PA)

The number of violent crimes resulting in victims suffering injuries also rose by 15pc to 8,693 while robberies rose 12pc to 359, the figures show.  

However there was a fall in drugs offences as well as reports of stalking and harassment (down 11pc), public order offences (down 4pc), and a further drop in residential burglaries (down 3pc), with Norfolk already second lowest in the UK for break-ins. 

'Norfolk remains a safe place to live'

Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford said as a whole the figures “once again show Norfolk remains a safe place to live, despite the overall increase in crime of 4.8pc, which is lower than the national average of 12.6pc and the regional average which is eight per cent”.

“It’s pleasing to see reductions in house burglary and public order offences,” he added.

“There’s also been a reduction in drug offences however, it doesn’t mean we’ve taken our focus away from drug dealers, it’s a reflection of our changed approach with county lines drugs activity. 

House burglaries fell in Norfolk last year the ONS figures show (Image: PA)

“Over the last three years our focus has been on targeting those in charge of the lines through communications data. This allows us to close lines and stop the flow of class A drugs into Norfolk.”

The figures also saw an increase in sexual offences recorded by police, which rose by almost a quarter to 3,465.

The ONS urged “caution” when interpreting the data, stressing that the rise in reports of sexual offences could be affected by a “number of factors” including improvements in how police record crime as well as victims being more willing to come forward and report incidents in light of high-profile cases and campaigns.

Increases partial reflect better reporting practices

Mr Sanford said a drop in stalking and harassment offences could be attributed to investing in better recording practices which had identified ‘over-recording’ in harassment cases.

The public more willing to report crimes could be behind some of the increases, the PCC said (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Orpen-Smellie said improvements to the recording of violent offences and an increased tendency for the public to report crimes meant it “could be an effect of reporting, rather than a real change”.

But Diana Fawcett, chief executive of charity Victim Support, said rises in recorded sexual offences came as the percentage of cases seeing justice had “plummeted to an abysmal new low”.

“Charges for rape and sexual offences have been falling sharply for the past six years – the system is in crisis. We are on a path to destroying victims’ faith in the criminal justice system all together,” she said.

Norfolk police control room handled 16,000 more 999 calls last year (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Sanford said the police were facing “significant pressure” with increasing demand and complexity”. 

“Last year we took 120,000 999 calls, 16,000 more than the previous year and many of these are not related to crime,” he said.

“As a service we find ourselves responding to people in mental health crises and this takes us away from our core business. However, we will always seek to prioritise the areas of policing that the public want and need.”