New figures by the Office for National Statistics show Cheshire is one of the safest places across England and Wales.
They say there has been a 6.8% reduction in the number of recorded crimes, in contrast to the national average decrease of 0.9%.
But they also show a large rise drug offences and weapons offences, which police chiefs say is due to increased “stop and search” tactics.
There has also been a big rise in shoplifting.
The figures, released today (April 25), cover the period from January 2023 and December 2023, compared with the previous 12 months.
It is the second consecutive year overall recorded crime has fallen in Cheshire.
Reductions were seen across public order offences (-27.9%), business robbery (-21.2%), arson (-15.4%), stalking and harassment (-15%), theft from the person (-14.4%), and violence against the person (-9.9%).
Possession of drugs offences (+64.1%) rose sharply as did possession of weapons offences (+40.2%).
Cheshire’s Chief Constable Mark Roberts (pictured) said: “I am incredibly proud of these latest figures, which demonstrate the hard work of Cheshire Police officers and staff to continue to make this county a hostile place for criminals.
“At the end of last year, more than 1,800 people were arrested during Cheshire Police’s Christmas operation, with officers targeting perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and drink and drug driving – with a particular focus on night-time economy hot spot areas to keep people safe over the festive period.
“The Constabulary also supported Operations Sceptre and Calibre, which sought to tackle knife crime and street robbery respectively. This resulted in 39 knife sweeps conducted in parks and public areas across the county.
“The 15% reduction in stalking and harassment is largely down to the incredible work of our Harm Reduction Unit.
“This has seen the introduction of victim proximity tags which alert victims and our control room if an offender is in close proximity to the victim.
“Like other forces across the country, we have seen an increase in shoplifting offences (+33%), but this is below the national average increase of 37%.
“I want to reassure businesses we are working hard to tackle crimes against businesses and those responsible. This includes a number of innovative and proactive measures such as SelectaDNA.
“We have also introduced specialist facial recognition software to identify those responsible and hold them accountable, as well as applying for Criminal Behaviour Orders to ban repeat offenders from certain businesses or locations.
“This all sets a strong message to anyone who thinks they can commit crime in Cheshire and get away with it. I hope members of the public will also be reassured of the action we will carry out to prevent our residents, businesses, and communities from becoming victims of crime.”
Cheshire Constabulary say there has also seen improvements in the time it takes for calls to be answered and officers to arrive.
Chief Constable Roberts added: “Despite our officers having more than 900 square miles of ground to cover, including incredibly rural settings with limited access routes, between January and March 2024, the average time taken to arrive at an emergency incident was seven minutes and 52 seconds, well below the national 15-minute target.
“This is in part thanks to the great work of our police staff in our control room, who play a huge role in protecting those who live in Cheshire.
“Overall, these latest figures recognise the dedication of everyone in the Constabulary, with officers and staff members working together to ensure Cheshire is one of the safest places to live in the country.”
Should these details be published in view of the CPC elections on 2nd May being affected by Election Purdah requirements?