Crime down thanks to beat bobbies

Police chiefs said neighbourhood policing at the heart of communities is credited with the drop in crime rates.

According to the figures, which are up to the end of December 2012, there were 18,258 fewer crime victims last year. And the number of crimes overall fell to 168,982. House burglaries fell 28 per cent to 13,292.

Nationally, crime was down by just eight per cent.

Mark Burns-Williamson, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, said: “Fewer people were victims of crime in West Yorkshire last year. This is good news and down to the hard work of the police service and its partners who have risen to the challenge of continuing to make people safer at a time when they have sustained massive cuts in funding from the government.

West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Mark Gilmore said: “These latest results demonstrate the remarkable job being done by our officers, staff and partners every day to keep our communities safe. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams remain at the heart of our local communities.”