County crime levels have soared over the last 12 months but a top officer has stressed that the county is still a safe place to live.

Latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that crime increased by 9.8 per cent across the county with Dorset Police recording more than 49,115 crimes, up from 44,917.

Of the increases across the nine main police crime categories, violent crime increased by 16.1 per cent from 12,758 to 14,812 while theft offences in the county saw 20,916 incidents recorded - a total increase of 4.5 per cent from 2017.

Alongside this, robberies increased by 15.2 per cent with 288 reported cases, up from 250 in 2017 while sexual offences increased from 1,297 to 1,583, up 22.5 per cent on 2017.

Public order offences also spiked 15.4 per cent from to 2,039 cases, up from 1,760 in 2017.

However, weapon offences dropped 2.5 per cent to 274 incidents in 2018, down from 274 in 2017 while drug offences dropped from 1,608 in 2017 to 1,548 in 2018.

Meanwhile, across the country, in the 12 months to March, forces in England and Wales logged a total of 5.5 million offences, a rise of a tenth (11%) compared with the previous year.

Caroline Youell, from the ONS, said: “The figures show a fairly stable picture in England and Wales for most crime types.

“It is too early to say if this is a change to the long-term declining trend but there have been

increases in some lower-volume ‘high-harm’ offences such as homicide and knife crime, consistent with rises over the past three years.”

Deputy Chief Constable David Lewis, of Dorset Police, said: “Back in 2015 we told the public that, after more than a decade of continual reduction in reported crime, it was expected that we would start seeing a rise and this has been reflected nationally in recent years.

“It is clear that, like other forces, the increase in recent years can in part be put down to people having greater confidence in coming forward to us, particularly for crimes such as domestic and sexual offences, and an increased emphasis on recording crime as accurately as possible.

“However, we have always vowed to be honest with our public and we must recognise that some of the increase is down to a genuine rise in crime taking place in local communities.

“This mirrors the national picture, and Dorset is still one of the safest places in the country.

“We continue to work hard at improving our investigative skills, finding new ways to respond to the rise in calls and working together with local partners to prevent crime.

“All officers and staff at Dorset Police remain committed to doing everything we can to keep the county a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Officers ‘doing utmost to deal with demand’

However, the force’s federation says with the increase in crime is inevitable but for a completely different reason.

Anna Harvey, chair of Dorset Police Federation, said: “Police numbers are down, demand is up and therefore it is clear that crime is going to increase. Police chief constables need more funding to recruit more police officers.

“Our officers out there and desk staff are doing their utmost to deal with the demand. We have the knock-on effect of then dealing with our officers and supporting them with all they do.”

Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “The increase in reported crime in Dorset reflects the national picture – it is, in part, due to the work done by the Force to improve crime recording, as well as the greater confidence the public have in contacting the police.

“It should be remembered, however, that the majority of demands that our police service face are not crime related, and these incidents and issues have also increased.

“At the same time, the numbers of police officers in England and Wales has decreased by 21,000 since 2010.

“On behalf of the people of Dorset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers, staff and volunteers of Dorset Police, who have my support, my admiration and my gratitude for the incredibly difficult job they do.”