CRIME in Suffolk has fallen by nearly 5% in the last six months - but the number of drug offences has increased, new figures show.The county's constabulary described the performance as “extremely encouraging” and said the 1.

CRIME in Suffolk has fallen by nearly 5% in the last six months - but the number of drug offences has increased, new figures show.

The county's constabulary described the performance as “extremely encouraging” and said the 1.1% rise in drug offences was a reflection of the force targeting dealers.

The largest decrease in crimes was seen in fraud and forgery, which dropped by 34%, followed by violent crime, which dropped by 7.4%.

Vehicle crimes, burglaries and vandalism also dropped over the six months between April and September, compared to the same period last year.

Jacqui Cheer, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable, said: “This is an extremely encouraging set of figures, which shows that we have built on our strong performance last year, when overall crime fell by more than 3%.

“The first six months of this year have seen 453 fewer violent offences and a reduction of 92 homes broken into and burgled.

“The only main crime category to show an increase is drug offences. But this actually reflects police proactively targeting drug dealers, rather than an increase in drug dealing on the streets.

“Local people will be aware that the Constabulary has faced some challenges over the last year in terms of major crime investigation and the ongoing review into the organisation's structure.

“Despite this, our officers and staff have shown their quality with these latest performance figures, which underline their commitment to keeping Suffolk safe.”

She said, while it was early days, the figures may also reflect the work of the 47 Safer Neighbourhood Teams set up across the country.

“The teams see the Constabulary working with staff from partner agencies, such as local councils, to tackle problems identified by local people,” she said.

russell.claydon@eadt.co.uk

Crime figures April to September:

Crime category April to Sept 2006 April to Sept 2007 % Change

Violent crime 6,094 5,641 -7.4

Vehicle crime 2,706 2,618 -3.3

Criminal damage 6,470 6,206 -4.1

Burglary 2,660 2,616 -1.7

Thefts and handling 9,035 8,970 -0.7

Fraud and forgery 990 657 -33.6

Drug offences 985 996 1.1

Total crime 26,781 25,552 -4.6

Detection 27.8% 29.5% 1.7