Home Affairs Minister Adrian Earnshaw MHK welcomes another significant decrease in the levels of recorded crime.
The end-of-year crime performance statistics for the current period – which runs from April 2008 to March 2009 – will not be published until next month.  However, current trends point to a substantial fall in virtually every category of recorded crime in the Island.  Police analysts estimate that an overall reduction of 28 per cent will be achieved over the past two years.  That represents approximately 1,300 fewer recorded crimes compared with 2006-07 and at least 1,000 fewer victims of crime. 

In addition, the Isle of Man Constabulary’s detection rate currently stands at 51.6 per cent – almost double the average achieved by police forces across England and Wales. Mr Earnshaw said, ‘A reduction of almost one third in the space of two years is very commendable. These statistics reflect the strong leadership at the heart of the Manx police force and the professionalism, commitment and focus that exists throughout the organisation. Investment in the training and development of officers and support staff continues to pay dividends in terms of overall performance. At a time when the Isle of Man is coming under increasing international scrutiny, we can proudly point to our reputation as being a safe place to live, work and visit.’

Against a backdrop of encouraging news across the board, the most important contributors to the overall reduction in recorded crime have been fewer incidents of criminal damage (estimated drop of 32 per cent), theft (25 per cent drop) and public order offences (50 per cent drop).  When combined these three categories represent nearly two thirds of all recorded crime in the Isle of Man – 32 per cent, 22 per cent and eight per cent respectively.  Other categories – such as violent crime and sexual offences – are also on course to show significant reductions when the year-end statistics are published.

With numbers in the police force remaining static from year to year, the improvement in crime performance figures is being attributed more to the neighbourhood policing structure and a pro-active approach with regard to certain offences, such as drunkenness. Community partnerships - for instance, with local authorities, Crimestoppers and Neighbourwood Watch - also play their part in crime solving and prevention.

Chief Constable Mike Langdon (pictured) said: ‘There is still a little way to go before the conclusion of the policing year, but the current indications are definitely very encouraging. Lower crime rates reflect the effectiveness of the neighbourhood policing approach and our early intervention policy when dealing with certain aspects of anti-social behaviour. Our officers will remain an integral part of their local communities and will continue to tackle the issues that matter most.'