By Nick Griffiths Crime Reporter

Last updated at 13:06, Monday, 15 October 2012

Crime has dropped in Cumbria with force chiefs claiming they are getting the best out of fewer resources.

Bernard Lawson

New figures show all recorded offences in the county dropped by 11 per cent during the spring and summer.

Most individual crime categories also showed a drop, with antisocial trouble down by four per cent, assaults with non-serious injuries down by 12 per cent and vandalism down by 14 per cent.

The number of serious violent crimes did go up – from 47 to 65.

‘Sanction detections’ – where there has been a charge, a summons, a caution or other formal action taken – were down by one per cent.

The results come against a backdrop in recent years of slashes in spending, reduced officer numbers and cuts in the force’s civilian workforce.

The county’s temporary chief constable, Bernard Lawson, reveals the results in a top-level report to the force watchdog, Cumbria Police Authority.

He said: “In most areas performance remains good despite reduced officer numbers.”

The drop in police numbers comes as police chiefs strive to save cash in the wake of cuts and the need to slash millions of pounds from the budget.

Officer numbers at the start of this financial year stood at about 1,125 – 50 fewer than a year before and down from the 1,240 that policed the county in 2010.

The force did, however, decide in the summer to take on some new recruits.

The report will be presented to a sub-committee of the authority tomorrow.

First published at 11:54, Monday, 15 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk