Burglary gangs mar county's crime rate

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Long said crime in the county, the second safest in England, rose by six per cent, from 36,555 reported crimes last year to 38,889 in the year up to March. This compares to a national increase of seven per cent

By far the biggest increase was in burglary figures.

The total increased by 792 offences to 5,835 compared with 5,043 in 2000/2001, a 16 per cent increase compared with a national average of five per cent.

But Mr Long was quick to point to a detection rate of 15 per cent, three per cent higher than the national average.

He said: "One of the reasons the percentage increase is so large is because we are starting from a very low level, so any numerical increase will have a big impact."

When asked why Wiltshire had seen such a large rise, Mr Long replied that the force saw a 70 per cent increase in June of last year because of a small number of prolific offenders, particularly gangs in Salisbury and Swindon who were targeted and arrested.

He said: "All we need is two or three people committing a lot of crime and the figures go through the roof."

Mr Long said the close correlation of crime and drug addiction, particularly to heroin and crack cocaine, is a major factor in the increase in crime.

He said that seizures of heroin had doubled in the last year.

Chief Superintendent Gary Chatfield, head of Wiltshire CID, said that, of the 950 people arrested for burglary and other property crimes last year, 170 of them admitted to drug addiction, more than half of them admitting to being hooked on heroin.

He said the force is aware of the impact of heroin and crack cocaine coming from Bristol.

Mr Long paid tribute to the part played by the public in making Wiltshire statistically the second safest county in England, not just through Neighbourhood Watch schemes but also in direct assistance to officers at the scene.