Crime falls in Woodbridge

By Richard Smith

POLICE officers have brought an early Christmas present to householders in Woodbridge with a dramatic decrease in crime.

The fall in crime now stretches back three months and there was a particularly sharp drop in the number of recorded crimes in September and October.

In September there were 54 crimes compared with 78 crimes the previous year, a fall of 31%.

In October there were 30 crimes in the four Woodbridge wards compared with 54 crimes the previous year. This was a reduction of about 33%.

In November there was a fall of 16% while there has been an increase in the number of crimes detected. The detection rate is above 30%.

Karle Howard, a police officer with the Woodbridge and Melton Safer Neighbourhood Team, told the town council: “The trend since June and July has been for crime to come down quite nicely and consistently while the detection rate is above 30% which is a few percentage above the national average.

“We have regular patrols to tackle anti social behaviour, working with detached youth workers in the areas of New Street, Bury Hill and Elmhurst Park.

“We had 10 youth nuisance forms completed in November, which is down from the summer period, and young people are not being as anti social as they were before. One person did not comply with his anti social behaviour order and he was given 21 days for breaching it.

“Under the Nightsafe scheme there have been eight more people banned from licensed premises, two have been reinstated and the total banned at the moment is 27 people.”

Posters are to be displayed in Woodbridge pubs urging the public to drink responsibly and beer mats will be produced to reinforce the message.

Pc Howard said, after the meeting: “More offenders are being brought to justice, possibly as a result of the way we operate, working with other agencies through partnership meetings, listening to their concerns and placing resources in those areas to address concerns.”