REDUCING overall crime and antisocial behaviour levels are likely to be the
priorities of next year’s Local Policing Plan.
The draft plan was discussed at a meeting of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) on Thursday.
Inspector Mark Peters said that following a PSNI survey, which 344 local people responded to, the top priorities for residents were an overall reduction in crime, a reduction in anti-social behaviour, a reduction in road deaths, fewer burglaries and violent crimes and more controlled access to alcohol.
Those being surveyed had been given 12 priority options to choose from.
Councillor Liam Johnston said he also wanted to see the problem of drugs tackled.
“Burglaries are done to steal things to sell for drugs,” he said. “Burglaries and violent crime and access to alcohol are all linked in with drugs.”
Councillor Dermot Curran said he hoped to see more police beats in outlying areas such as Ardglass made a priority.
Area Commander Chief Inspector Deirdre Bones said flag protests and parading issues over the past year meant more resources had been diverted to Belfast.
“This year has been a particularly busy year for police,” she said. “The G8 also took an awful lot of resources. There has also been the World Police and Fire Games.
“We have to concentrate our officers where there is more crime, not necessarily Ardglass and Strangford.”
The discussion followed the latest crime statistics revealed by Chief Inspector Deirdre Bones.
Between April and November 2013, compared to the same period last year, crime levels have risen by 11.9 per cent. Burglaries, which have been a major area of concern in recent years, are down by 22 per cent overall. Domestic burglaries are down by 19.2 per cent.
Chief Inspector Bones said she recognised burglary was “one of the most impactive crimes” but said their progress had been “excellent”.
“When I first came here burglary rates were much higher,” she said. “They have come down year on year.”
Where crime levels had increased, Ms. Bones said they were working hard to get levels down again by the end of the reporting year.
These include violent crime (up 12 per cent), theft (up 5.8 per cent) and antisocial behaviour (up 8.6 pre cent).
“We have had quite an increase in the number of shoplifting offences,” she said. “Hopefully as we approach Christmas we will see police come on to the streets and go into shops.”