Crime rate tumbles in Castle Point during the Olympics (From Echo)

Crime rate tumbles in Castle Point during the Olympics

2:00pm Thursday 27th September 2012 in News By Jacqueline McMillan

CRIME fell dramatically during the Olympics, according to new figures.

Crime in Castle Point fell 16 per cent last month, just as the games took over the borough, which hosted the mountain bike competition at Hadleigh Country Park.

The figures, released by the Castle Point and Rochford Community Safety Partnership, reveal there were a total of 303 incidents of crime in the borough last month, a drop from 363 incidents in August 2011.

The figures include records for burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, violent crime, public disorder, shoplifting, criminal damage and arson.

Antisocial behaviour, which is measured separately, also fell by 16 per cent, from 240 incidents in August 2011 to 201 incidents in August 2012.

Castle Point Council officers say the fall in crime could be down to thousands of people across the borough getting into the spirit of the Games.

Melanie Harris, head of partnerships and safer places at the council, said: “There are always going to be pockets of crime, but I think the fall in incidents this summer had a lot to do with everyone coming together to enjoy the Olympics. “We also saw a 30 per cent drop in crime in July, when the torch was here, so it is clear people really got a boost from it.

“This year has been very good for us as we continue to be a low-crime area and we have been conducting initiatives to do all we can to make sure it stays this way.”

Over the past year the council has organised a number of schemes to help bring crime down.

This has included visits to schools, conducting hate crime workshops with youngsters on the effects antisocial behaviour can have on vulnerable people, and launching a study on why people turn to crime.

Preparations are already underway to try and curb crime over the Halloween period next month.

Mrs Harris added: “We have been putting leaflets out in the community and asking shop-keepers not to sell things like eggs to trick-or-treaters to help keep low-level crime down. “We are always looking ahead to see how we can improve safety in the borough for our residents.”

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