THE island’s crime rate was already at a record 30 year low.
Yet recorded crime fell by a further 6 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March of this year – with substantial reductions in many categories of offences.
And there was an overall detection rate of 51.9 per cent – almost double the average registered by the 44 police forces across England and Wales.
We also lead the way in comparison with neighbouring jurisdictions, with the island’s rate of 31.4 crimes per 1,000 people for 2011-12 comparing favourably with Guernsey’s 32.4, Jersey’s 41.6, and a rate of 76 in England and Wales.
The statistics are contained in the Chief Constable’s Annual Report for 2011-12, which will be laid before the June sitting of Tynwald.
It shows that there were 2,657 crimes recorded during 2011-12, a reduction of 6 per cent compared with 2010-11, and a fall of 12.8 per cent against the three-year average.
Burglary in people’s homes fell by 19 per cent to 54, the lowest level for a decade.
The number of domestic assaults decreased by 5.7 per cent from last year and 21.7 per cent against the three-year average – and with an impressive detection rate of 89 per cent, showing this category of crime is seen as a priority by the Constabulary.
Offences of theft decreased by 2.2 per cent, a drop of more than 30 per cent on the figure for 2006-07. Recordable public order offences also fell – by nearly 16 per cent.
One area that did see an increase was drug-related crime, with a total of 187 offences recorded, representing a 12 per cent increase in comparison with last year – but a reduction of 16.6 per cent against the three-year average.
Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson welcomed the latest fall in the crime rate, saying it was a testament to the success of neighbourhood policing and the work of Chief Constable Mike Langdon, who is due to retire at the end of the year.
He said: ‘The effectiveness of the Isle of Man Constabulary in continuing to drive down the overall crime rate is to be commended.
The level of recorded crime has reduced by more than 40 per cent since the introduction of neighbourhood policing, which reflects the widely-held belief that the island is one of the safest places to live in the British Isles.’
‘As well as helping residents to feel secure in their local communities, maintaining a low level of crime also supports government’s efforts to grow the economy. A safe environment and excellent quality of life are major factors in terms of attracting new businesses and key workers to the island.’
