UPDATED: There's a good reason why crime in Dorset has shot up say police - but it hasn't satisfied campaigners

Total recorded crime has risen by 14 per cent – up to 42,478, crimes, making it the third highest tally in the South West below Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall but ahead of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

Particular offences have seen big leaps including violence against persons (+40 per cent), violence without injury (+85 per cent), robbery (+17 per cent), sexual offences (+13 per cent), theft from person (+57 per cent), and public order (+33 per cent).

Office for National Statistics figures are for July 2015-June 2016 and are compared with the previous 12 months.

Dorset Police said the increases are to do with crime recording, ‘accuracy’ and proactive police work – and want to stress the county is a safe place. It says the increase was predicted by the force, and has been discussed at meetings.

But there are claims the police are making ‘excuses’.

Community safety spokesman for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council Cllr Francis Drake has recently highlighted the lack of officers on the beat in the town centre and problems with the 101 police non-emergency system, which he claims could put people off reporting crime.

He said of the latest figures: “I know where the police are coming from on this because it has been explained before how changes in the recording of crime affects figures.

“But when you see increases like this, you have to wonder if they are making excuses and playing down the fact there are more crimes being committed. It seems to me that crime is rising in this area and that shouldn’t be ignored. I think a more visible police presence and dedicated community officers would help to stop that.”

Dorchester Mayor Cllr Tim Harries said figures were ‘confusing’ as it appears the police regularly change the way they record crime.

He said: “There doesn’t appear to be any consistency. When crime goes up or down you have to take it with a pinch of salt.”

Cllr Harries complained that Dorchester councillors hadn’t been visited or updated by their local police inspector for a year so it was difficult to know what the local story was regarding crime.

Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “Dorset Police has worked hard to improve our compliance with the complex Home Office Counting Rules, and to ensure the public are confident to report crime to us.

“We have demonstrated we are fully committed to meeting the very high standards set out by the government on crime recording, which are inspected through HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

“As a consequence of improved practice, the force is publishing increases in total crime which I wish to reassure you is due to a greater emphasis being placed on accuracy.”

Changes to crime recording over the past 12 months have also apparently had an effect on the figures.

One change is the inclusion of malicious communications into the category of ‘harassment’ and therefore into the broad category of ‘violent crime’. This contributed to a 37 per cent rise in total violent crime.

Other increases have resulted from focused police activity, such as the work of the Paedophile Investigation Team seeking out offenders.

As a result of the work of the Dorset Police Safeguarding Referral Unit and referrals from other partner agencies, Dorset has also seen an increase in reports of child neglect.

Dorset is among a minority of police forces that were graded as ‘Good’ in the HMIC vulnerability inspection last year. The force was praised for its work to encourage people to report sexual offences, domestic abuse and other crimes involving vulnerable victims.

Mr Vaughan added: “Our safeguarding activity and our victim-focused approach has led to more people coming forward to report crimes affecting the most vulnerable.  “We make no excuse for encouraging people to report such crimes – whatever impact that has on statistics.

“I can reassure people that Dorset remains a safe place to live, work and visit.  “The officers and staff of Dorset Police are committed to ensuring it stays that way.”

Acting Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Colin Pipe, said: “Ensuring that people feel confident reporting crime, whatever their situation, is a critical part of British policing.

“I am confident that the increase we are seeing is due to this enhanced trust, along with better recording practices, reflecting trends nationally.”

This rise has been articulated to the media and to the public many times in the last nine months, before these official figures were released.

“Reducing the overall number of victims of crime in Dorset is a long term objective of the Commissioner’s second term in office and Dorset Police will continue to adapt with the changing nature of policing to aim at achieving that.”