Crime in South Yorkshire - Police and Crime Commissioner responds

Jan. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Shaun Wright, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner today responded to the figures released by the South Yorkshire Police that overall, crime figures for 2012 are 7% down compared with 2011.

He said:

“This is welcome news and reflects on the hard work on the part of the Force during the past 12 months. As I have mentioned  on a few occasions, from a police budget perspective, we have been grappling with a £43million reduction for South Yorkshire since the Government came to power, which is a lot of money taken away from local policing.

“I’m keen that crime should continue to fall, and I’ve set a challenging target for the Force in the coming year.

“The public very much support the work of the Force and Criminal Justice Agencies in their fight against crime, and as the new Police and Crime Commissioner, my endeavour is to keep the focus on there being fewer victims.

“It’s by no means unique to South Yorkshire that during times of economic hardship, there will be an increase in opportunistic theft from homes and cars, as well as increased incidents of shoplifting.

“While any form of crime cannot and will not be tolerated, those relating to personal property and the safety and wellbeing of the people of South Yorkshire remain highest on the priority list.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1.   Commissioner Wright has already stated his commitment to working in partnership across a range of agencies at local, regional and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime in South Yorkshire. He wants to ensure that community needs are met as effectively as possible, and he recognises that by building confidence and restoring trust, this in turn will greatly improve local relationships.

2.   The Police and Crime Commissioner, based at the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities in Barnsley, is an elected individual who oversees policing in South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster). The role of the Commissioner is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account. The Commissioner does not run the police, as this is the responsibility of the Chief Constable.

3.   The Commissioner is responsible for representing the public within South Yorkshire, cutting crime, reducing reoffending and delivering an effective and efficient police service within South Yorkshire.

4.   The Police and Crime Commissioner replaced the former Police Authority on the 22nd of November 2012.