Crime in Bristol has fallen to its lowest level in more than 20 years, reflecting a national downward trend and allaying fears that crime may be fuelled by the recession.
Figures released to the Bristol Evening Post reveal there are now 33,351 fewer recorded crimes per year than a decade ago — a decline of 40%.
In the year to the end of last month there were 50,595 crimes in the city – the lowest level since 1989, when Avon and Somerset police started recording it comprehensively.
Bristol district commander John Long said: “It is certainly a much safer city than it was three years ago, and we are actually seeing the lowest crime levels since we started recording crimes in this way. I am looking forward to the point when the total crime figure for Bristol will fall below 50,000 for the first time.”
Nationally, the number of crimes fell by 3% from 9.8 million to 9.5 million last year compared with 2009.
But there was no significant change in the levels of violent crime, according to the British Crime Survey.
The number of crimes recorded by police also fell 6%, fuelled by a drop in most categories apart from sexual offences, which rose 3%.
The number of burglaries rose by 14% and bicycle thefts were up 12%, the BCS figures showed. But the number of domestic burglaries and other burglaries recorded by police were both down by 7%.
