Robberies in Bassetlaw have increased by more than half

Office for National Statistics data shows there were 70 reported robberies in the 12 months to March 2019.These can include muggings, as well as more serious attacks such as hold ups with guns and knives.That figure is up 59 per cent on 2017-18, when 44 incidents were recorded.The statistics are based on crimes recorded with the police, and the ONS urges caution in interpreting some of these figures. However, statisticians said there appears to be a genuine rise in robberies.Mark Bangs, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "The picture of crime is a complex one."For example, overall levels of violence have remained steady but we have seen increases in violent crimes involving knives and sharp instruments."We have seen increases in fraud and overall theft, but decreases in burglary following recent rises.”Overall, police recorded crime in Bassetlaw increased in the 12 months to March 2019.Over the period, 10,863 crimes were recorded, up by 11 per cent on 2017-19.That means there was a rate of 93 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2018-19, above the England and Wales average of 89.Despite rising nationally, possession of weapons offences have stayed the same in Bassetlaw, with 67 incidents. These include knives, hand guns and even corrosive acid.There have been two homicides, which are murders or manslaughters. There were two cases of death or injury by dangerous driving.Across England and Wales, the number of recorded homicides rose by one per cent, to 701. These figures excluded people who died in terror attacks.In Bassetlaw, theft, one of the most high volume crimes, decreased by three per cent. Drugs related offences rose by 10 per cent.Commenting on the national figures, Chief Constable Andy Cooke, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said there were increases in concerning areas, including violent crime involving knives, fraud and theft.He said: "Greater confidence to report crime and changes to crime recording contribute to some of the increases but many are real rises.“Additional temporary funding from government has enabled forces to do more to suppress violence by increasing targeted patrols and stop and search."Bringing down violence will continue to be a top police priority. Tackling the causes of violence needs a united effort across government and society."Criminal damage in Bassetlaw, which includes arson and vandalising cars and houses, has gone up, from 1,267 incidents in 2017-18, to 1,367 in the latest figures.While violence with injury, which includes assault, GBH and wounding, has risen, this could be due to improved police recording.Similarly sexual offences are hard to judge as many more victims are now coming forward due to a series of high profile cases.In Bassetlaw, there were 298 incidents recorded between April 2018 and March 2019, a three per cent rise on the previous year, when 290 crimes were reported.There were also 947 cases of stalking and harassment reported over the same period.John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation, commented: "These figures come as no surprise and rightly cause alarm bells."For far too long, crime and policing has not been taken seriously enough."To make a real impact on our operational performance we need thousands of new officers."This should be the priority of the new Government which should be determined to protect the safety and security of everyone in the country."Inspector Neil Bellamy, area commander for Bassetlaw, said: “Robbery has risen across the country, not just in Nottinghamshire. However, Nottinghamshire Police treats every robbery seriously."Part of the rise is due to a greater compliance with National Crime Recording Standards, which means more offences are now being recorded.“By its nature robbery is one of the more unpredictable crimes and figures can fluctuate significantly but we respond swiftly and robustly when it happens.“The force introduced a dedicated robbery team in May, whose focus is tackling weapon-enabled street robberies across the county.“Our overall increase in crime is broadly in line with the national average.”