Lincolnshire ranked as one of the safest counties in England and Wales

A report by the Office for National Statistics finds Lincolnshire as being the fifth lowest county (per 1,000 population) for overall crime levels.

Chief Constable Bill Skelly said: “We work hard in Lincolnshire Police to make sure we do all we can so that the residents of this county have somewhere safe and enjoyable in which to live and work.

“It’s encouraging to see that we are so low on the national tables in terms of crime rates and we’ll strive to make sure this remains the case.”

While Lincolnshire has been ranked as one of the lowest counties for crime levels, there has been a 10% increase in overall crime (excluding fraud).

This increase is less than the national level, which has seen a 15% rise.

Mr Skelly explained: “We are a good way behind the national increase but, of course, any rise can be a worry.

“We’re doing our best to try and understand why that has happened, especially the figures in relation to violent crime and sexual offences.

“There are differing explanations for this that range from improvements in the way we record crimes, to the greater demand being placed on existing resources. “One of the main reasons we believe that the numbers of sexual offences have increased, for example, is because the public have far more confidence that when they talk to the police, their experience will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly.

“Recent high-profile media cases have contributed to raising awareness as we are seeing far more reports of non-recent sexual offences being made to us.

“There has been a rise in violent crime and we’ve seen national headlines recently in relation to incidents involving knives.

“Figures show that is something which mainly affects metropolitan areas and while we’re not immune to that here in Lincolnshire these types of incidents are incredibly rare.

“Whatever the reason, we can’t and won’t ignore the figures.

“While we will continue trying to understand the causes of crime we will also continue to provide action.

“It’s clear that more crime is being reported so we have to respond to that accordingly and make sure that not only are our recording practices as robust and efficient as they can be, but that our officers and staff are as best equipped as possible to respond to the daily demands they are faced with in policing in order to keep people safe.

“Crime forever changes and evolves and here in Lincolnshire we make sure we keep pace with those changes.

“We’ve invested in better technology and dedicated teams to what were once known as ‘emerging’ crimes, such as those that happen online, but which are rapidly becoming daily business.

“We will continue to listen to our communities, and focus on what is important to them here in Lincolnshire.

“The Policing landscape is becoming increasingly complex and our demand levels harder to predict.

“With some real challenges on the horizon I am, along with my Chief Officer Team and the Police and Crime Commissioner, dedicated to working with partners, to ensure Lincolnshire remains one of the safest counties in the country.”