The Isle of Wight remains one of the safest counties in the country despite an increase in recorded crime.
The Island’s 2021/22 strategic assessment shows there were 185 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour during the first three quarters of 2022 compared to the same time the previous year.
Drop in youth offending
The report, published by the Isle of Wight Community Safety Partnership (CSP), also reveals a drop in the number of young people entering the justice system as well as a 16.77 per cent fall in youth reoffending since 2019.
While crime rose from 64.5 per 1,000 population in 2020/2021 to 77.9 per 1,000 in the year up to the end of March 2022, the CSP notes the Isle of Wight continues to have the third lowest crime rate among its ‘statistical neighbours’.
It also points to recent YouGov data which shows most Island residents feel safe.
Gregory: Some of the lowest rates of crime in the country
Amanda Gregory, CSP chair, said,
“Almost all comparator areas have seen an increase in recorded crime during 2021/22 — this is likely to be a result of the pandemic artificially suppressing crime previously.
“I am pleased that the Island has some of the lowest rates of crime in the country, but there is still much work to be done particularly around ‘violence against the person’ which accounts for almost half of recorded Island crime.
“We are committed to preventing these offences, tackling offenders and ensuring that victims are supported and that crimes are effectively investigated.”
Mitchell: The Isle of Wight remains a safe place for residents and visitors alike
District Commander for the Isle of Wight, Superintendent Rob Mitchell said,
“This data, that reflects recorded crime on the Island until the end of March 2022, has helped my officers over the last year to identify our priorities to keep our communities safe.
“An increase in crime reports was to be expected following the easing of national restrictions during the pandemic as more people visited our communities and some crimes, such as domestic abuse, became more visible following periods of lockdown.
“An increase in reports also highlights a level of increased confidence from victims of crime to report incidents to the police.
“It’s important to stress that the Isle of Wight remains a safe place for residents and visitors alike, and I’m proud of the work we undertake with the Community Safety Partnership to maintain this.
“I was clear when I took up the role of District Commander that my priorities would be to tackle domestic abuse, violence against women and girls, and anti-social behaviour.
“This data underlines why those areas are important for policing and our communities.
“We are working hard to make sure that we do not alienate or unnecessarily criminalise the Island’s young people when addressing anti-social behaviour issues.
“Where appropriate we look to work with our partners to divert youngsters away from this type of behaviour so they can make a positive contribution to society.”
What is the CSP?
The CSP consists of several organisations working together to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and ensure people feel safe.
The partnership produces an annual strategic assessment to provide a summary of data and analysis on crime and anti-social behaviour, to highlight significant community safety issues and enable identification of priorities for the CSP.
It is important for partners to understand the levels and patterns of crime and disorder on the Isle of Wight, to enable them to ensure the right priorities are identified and to target resources effectively.
Corporate scrutiny committee
The 2021/22 strategic assessment is due to go before the Isle of Wight Council’s corporate scrutiny committee on Tuesday 9th May and the papers are available to view here.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
