Cheshire Constabulary praises Christmas crime figures after record low in Western Rural area

Jan 7 2010 Chester Chronicle

FREEZING winter weather has helped see a record low for crime across the county during the Christmas period.

Fewer crimes than ever before were committed from December 21 after a combination of cold weather, the cost of Christmas increasing and improved police coverage.

Insp Phil Hodgson of the Western Rural Neighbourhood Policing Unit, based in Frodsham, said: “It’s been a record Christmas, they are the best figures we have had in five years. I am absolutely delighted.

“Crime overall in December was 13% below target across the whole of the Western Rural area.

“In terms of incidents it was noticeably quieter than the previous five years I have been here.

“I would put it down to a combination of the weather and the financial situation, people have been more inclined to stay in this winter.

“From a policing point of view we have had extra officers on patrol which has meant we have detected a lot more crime.

“We’ve been very flexible putting more officers on at peak times, the partnerships have worked well with CCTV coverage and Trading Standards have done a lot of test purchasing on premises. All the factors have to be borne in mind.”

Following one of the whitest winters on records, officially the coldest for a decade, Insp Hodgson believes the snow is to blame for an increase in anti-social behaviour.

“Anti-social behaviour was up on target, but I put that down to snow balls,” he said.

“If we didn’t have the snow we wouldn’t have the incidents.

“Crime tends to go in cycles and tends to be seasonal, based on previous years I would expect March, April and May to be busier because more people tend to go out.”