Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime responds to latest ONS Crime Statistics

Responding to the latest crime figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE said:

“Clearly these latest figures are influenced by the lockdown restrictions of the Covid pandemic, given that they compare against the 20/21 period.

“Although we would expect to see increases, we should not be blind to the trajectory of some crime types and how we fare locally against the national picture.

“We anticipated that serious violence would increase post lockdown, as social interactions were supressed, and this is one area which we must keep our foot upon the pedal.

“We can see, for instance, that West Yorkshire is higher than the national average and that the Possession of Weapons and Violence with Injury are also surpassing national levels.

“This is why the role of our Violence Reduction Unit is absolutely critical and I know that there are a myriad of initiatives, projects and programmes underway designed to prevent and intervene at the earliest opportunity.

“It cannot, however, be the role of any one single organisation to tackle what are often societal problems, and we must take a truly partnership approach to address the fundamental issues and root causes.

“I meet regularly with the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, and I will continue to work closely with him and our key partners, ensuring that we have all the necessary measures in place to respond to emerging trends.”