CRIME is falling in Carlisle and the PCC has said that although it is positive news, it is not time to get complacent with crime.

Office for National Statistics figures revealed by RADAR suggest that within the last 12 months to March, 8,842 offences were committed in Carlisle.

That was a decrease of 21 per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 11,195.

Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: “It would be disingenuous not to suggest there’s been some fall in crime because of lockdowns.”

But he said that the increase in police recruitment and visibility on the streets has played a part.

“It has been as a result of a lot of hard work by police, they’ve had an exceptional year.”

The PCC added that the challenges are not over for Cumbria Police.

“The police have got the added of the extra visitors coming into the county and we’re already seeing the effect of that.”

Incidents of criminal damage were down 38 per cent, the largest fall of any kind of offence that year with 1,281.

The PCC added that additional work is needed on domestic abuse and county lines drug offences.

274 drug offences were recorded in the 12 months to March an increase of 25 per cent.

Billy Gazard, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on patterns of crime.

“There were large decreases in theft offences, such as domestic burglary and theft from the person, as more people stayed at home and limited their social contact.

Violent offences were down by 16 per cent and 69 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives were recorded, a decrease of 13 per cent.

Superintendent Gaynor Wardle said: “The last year has presented unique challenges for the whole of society.

“Our officers and staff adapted rapidly to the immense challenges of helping limit the spread of Covid-19 while dealing with the everyday policing demands of keeping people safe and preventing and solving crime.

“During the first wave of Covid-19 demand for traditional policing services did reduce, enabling us to concentrate on our role in the Covid-19 response.”

Therefore, some of the reduction in crime can be attributed to the impact of the social restrictions that were placed on us all.

“There have been many notable developments which took place to support our communities and provide them with the best possible policing service.

Improvements to policing have been made in Cumbria including the expansion of neighbourhood policing teams in rural areas, which has seen community officers based out of towns where police would previously have had to travel. Police said that officers based in communities are better placed to get to know the issues that matter in their patch and respond to the concerns in these towns and neighbourhoods.