FOCUS ON CRIME

FEAR of crime is widespread in rural Worcestershire and Herefordshire - though police claim it is one of the "safest places in the country".

Half the population fears becoming victims of violent attack, yobs, burglars and car thieves.

The statistics were in Home Office performance tables which, for the first time, compare West Mercia only with similar police authorities. They showed there was less vehicle crime in this region than in similar counties.

There were slightly more burglaries in the two counties than in other English rural regions, but the number of robberies was average at 0.6 per 1,000 people.

Police have been quick to dispel the fear factor, saying the statistics showed West Mercia was one of the safest places to live in the country.

Chief Constable Peter Hampson told the police authority that the force was aiming to hit an overall crime detection rate of 32 per cent by the end of March, the highest in the country.

He was confident that, with an extra 300 officers being recruited by next month, the public would be reassured about safety.

Four teenagers in court on affray charge

FOUR youths have appeared before Worcester Youth Court charged with affray.

Two 15-year-old boys, a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy, all living in the Warndon area of Worcester, have denied the charge.

One 15-year-old also denied a breach of an anti-social behaviour order.

The four youths cannot be named for legal reasons.

They have all been released on bail and the case was adjourned until Wednesday, March 5.

Half are living in fear of crime

HALF the householders living in Worcestershire and Herefordshire live in fear of crime, Home Office statistics reveal.

Residents have widespread fears about having their homes raided, cars stolen or suffering a violent attack.

But actual figures show West Mercia Constabulary has a better record than "comparable" police forces.

The findings come from Police Minister John Denham as, for the first time, performance tables have been published to compare the force only with police authorities facing similar issues.

The new system intends to stop police hiding behind the excuse that it is unfair to draw comparisons with the national picture.

The data shows the biggest worry for 16 per cent of residents is public disorder, closely followed by the threat of violence at 13 per cent.

Car crimes also feature highly in the worry stakes at 12 per cent, while nine per cent of people are concerned about being burgled.

Their concerns follow a similar pattern to those of residents in comparable policing areas of Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire.

The number of burglaries in the force's area, at 12.9 per 1,000 households, compare with 12.2 elsewhere.

The number of days officers report in sick is worse than average - 13.2 days a year compared to 11.5.

The vehicle crime rate is 11.4 per 1,000 residents, against 12.2.

The crime detection rate matched the national average at 23 per cent.

A force spokesman said the figures were months out of date and did not reflect massive improvements made this year.

"In terms of burglary, we've detected 129 more this year compared to last year," he said.

"In terms of fear of crime, we want to make it clear that West Mercia is one of the safest areas in the country in which to live and work.

"We hope that with the recruitment of 300 extra officers to the force by March we will soon be able to reassure the public with more police on the beat.

Chief Constable Peter Hampson said this week that the force was aiming to achieve an overall crime detection rate of 32 per cent by the end of March, the highest in the country.

The force claims recent statistics also show that sickness has been reduced to 11.5 days per officer per year, representing a drop in 13 per cent.

County among quietest areas

ANYONE who has been burgled, attacked or suffered from any form of crime may have been in contact with North West Worcestershire Victim Support.

The branch, one of many across the country, provides a helping hand and listening ear to people who have worries about crime or who may have suffered from it.

A spokesman for the charity said people's fears of crime were very real, but not often borne out in actual police statistics.

"Without a doubt, media reporting plays a big part in the fear factor. We see crime on television through the news and programmes like The Bill, read it in newspapers and hear it on the radio. We are crime-obsessed," he said.

"People's fears are disproportional in Worcestershire because it is one of the quietest areas in terms of crime in the country."

"What tends to happen is that when someone does become a victim of some sort of crime, it raises their fear that this is proof it always happens.

"People may then become scared to go out at night, so although the incident may be against the law of averages, it does have a big impact upon them."

"Those original fears are based on the social information that people pick up around them and, as we live in a global information society, that is often based upon media coverage."

The most likely victims of crime, according to the charity, are 16 to 25-year-old males out drinking.

Norman beat the vandals

A NEIGHBOURHOOD warden has become a hero to residents after tackling vandals on an estate.

Norman Barrow, who is helping to fight crime on Malvern's Langland estate, has come to the rescue of elderly residents whose homes were being damaged by hooligans.

He hid behind a hedge and, after taking photographs to use in evidence against the offenders, chased the gang away.

"Their homes had been subjected to attacks by the young vandals, so I lay in wait for them and took photographs of the damage being done. They have not been back," he said.

The pioneering scheme to tackle crime is being delivered by Elgar Housing Association and Malvern Hills District Council, with funding from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Mr Barrow was one of only two such wardens in the country when he was appointed last year.

His patrols the estate, observing and reporting back on incidents so that residents feel safer and the area is tidier.

As well as being a deterrent, Mr Barrow is a point of contact for people to report problems arising within the community.

The role has been given £29,148 funding for two years as part of a Community Safety Partnership.

Further funding will be sought if the scheme proves successful.

Now police add to rising council tax

CITY householders face a further double-figures hike in their council tax as the police announce a 14 per cent increase.

Today, Worcestershire County Council was expected to approve a 12.97 per cent rise.

And Worcester City Council plans to set an increase of almost 10 per cent.

The cost of West Mercia Police to owners of a Band D property - regarded as the average property in the council tax band system - will be £119.80 a year.

This represents an increase of 14.4 per cent on last year, or an extra 29p a week.

Hereford and Worcester fire authority precept is yet to be announced, but so far Band D taxpayers will be expected to find an extra £120 a year.

Mrs Joyce Thomas, chairwoman of the West Mercia Police Authority, blamed the low Government grant increase for the increase.

"We faced some difficult decisions because the Government allocation to West Mercia of £104.4m represented an increase of just three per cent," she said.

"This was £4.5m short of the Government contribution we needed just to maintain the service. It was, therefore, inevitable that an extra burden would fall on our local communities."

Mrs Thomas said the authority's £154.5m budget would enable the force to take full advantage of the additional 300 officers recruited during the past year.

It plans to improve its capacity to handle the increasing numbers of telephone calls from the public, and will spend money reinforcing its crime detection teams and introducing measures to speed up referrals to court.

To comply with Home Office requirements, funding will also be found for a counter-terrorist security adviser.