Posted on Monday 9 January 2023
There will be no let up in police action to tackle crime and keep communities across County Durham and Darlington safe during 2023.
Durham Constabulary made the promise as new figures reveal that the force made significant progress in disrupting criminals and protecting the public during 2022.
Our officers made 1,257 drug seizures between April and September 2022 – an average of seven drug seizures every day - taking dangerous substances off the streets and taking profits out of the hands of dealers.
Analysts have researched crime patterns for this year and compared them to the same period in 2019, the last full year before the effects of the pandemic.
The figures show:
- A 23% fall in robbery, residential burglary, theft and vehicle crime
- A 16% increase in solved rates for the same crimes, including the highest solved rate for commercial burglary in the UK
- A 9% fall in crimes of violence against the person
- A 4% fall in anti-social behaviour
In the run-up to Christmas, Durham Constabulary carried out high-profile raids under Operation Trident, pre-planned strikes which targeted the area’s most prolific offenders and led to 17 arrests in a single day.
At that time, police warned criminals there would be no pause for Christmas and are now repeating the warning that there will be no let-up in the New Year.
The process of gathering community intelligence, preventing crime and making arrests will continue throughout the coming months.
Superintendent Lee Gosling said: “Over the last year, we have recruited extra officers and amended our shift patterns so more officers are available at those times when reports of domestic abuse, burglary and alcohol-fuelled violence peak.
“That means we have more resources in the right place and at the right time to target prolific offenders, deter criminals and protect our communities. In particular, we have been able to target with those high harm crimes which our communities care about most: residential burglaries, sexual offences, violence and drug-related crime.
“These crimes have a lasting impact on victims and their families and offenders need to understand that we will be unrelenting in our efforts to bring them to justice.
“These latest figures are encouraging and we are determined to sustain that progress over the coming year.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for all their help over the last year: together we can make a difference to our communities”.
Anyone with any information about suspicious activity happening in their area can share it via our 101 live chat on our website at durhampolice.co.uk or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.