Community Safety overview

Intelligence

Crime in England and Wales 2023/24

The 2023/24 publication from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) showed that there was no statistically significant change in CSEW headline crime compared with 2022/23. The crime survey is only reported at England and Wales level, so police recorded crime is used for the local authority picture. 

Home Office figures for 2023/24 on police recorded crime show there were 129,406 recorded crimes (excluding fraud) in Lancashire-14. This is a slight decrease of 972 fewer crimes (1% decrease) from 2022/23. 

Violence against the person accounts for 42% of all recorded crime in Lancashire-14 for 2023/24, the same as the previous year. Public order offences had the largest increase of 15% more crimes than 2022/23 and makes up just 6% of all crime in Lancashire-14. 

Data for community safety partnerships (CSP) show there were 129,406 recorded crimes (excluding fraud) in the Lancashire-14 area in 2023/24. This was a slight decrease on the previous 12 months at 972 fewer crimes (6% decrease) from 2022/23. Lancashire-12, recorded 93,171 crimes (excluding fraud) in 2023/24, resulting in a 3.3% increase (2,976 more crimes) from 2022/23. 

Blackpool had 158 offences per 1,000 population in 2023/24, the highest in Lancashire-14. It had the sixth highest crime rate of any CSP in England and Wales, the highest rate for violence against the person and second highest for sexual offences. These numbers include both local residents and non-residents. 

Fylde, Rossendale, Wyre, and West Lancashire experienced increases in recorded crime in 2023/24. In contrast, the other 10 areas of Lancashire-14 either saw no change or a slight decrease, with Preston seeing the most significant decrease in recorded crime compared to 2022/23. Ribble Valley has the lowest recorded crime rate per 1,000 population/households for headline offences (38) of the 300 CSP groups in England and Wales. 

The full report can be downloaded below.

Power BI reports visualising the recorded crime data are available to view on the dashboard page.

Lancashire strategic assessment 2022-25

The 2022-2025 strategic assessment states: this assessment highlights some of the key issues and risks across Lancashire which affect the local communities. They require multi-agency engagement to improve safeguarding, reduce vulnerability, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and improve the well-being of our residents. 

When looking at crime in a different perspective – harm – and using the ONS Crime Severity Tool, these volume crimes account for 20% of harm across the county. Using the ONS Crime Severity Tool to look at the most harmful crime categories, gives a different picture to that mentioned above. The most harmful crime types include residential and commercial burglary, assaults, wounding, rape, robbery and sexual activity involving a child. These crimes account for 25% of the volume, but 68% of harm. Investigations into the most harmful crimes are also the most resource intensive, not just for the police, but for partners as well. The score for each partnership can be seen on page 7 of the community safety dashboard.

As part of the strategic process a Living in Lancashire survey was conducted, sending out 2,916 questionnaires to residents across Lancashire. There was a 68% (1,991) response rate with all community safety, crime and policing questions answered by respondents. Analysis of the results found the following highlights:

• 85% of respondents felt safe in their local area – with the age group of 60 yrs+ feeling most safe (88%).
• A lack of police presence (14%) was the most significant reason why respondents felt unsafe in their local area.
• More than three-quarters of respondents felt that issues with violence, sexual exploitation and organised crime were not a big problem.
• 38% of respondents felt that burglary, with half of respondents aged 25-44 years, was a problem.
• 53% felt drug dealing was a problem in their area, with respondents aged 25-59 years having most concern.
• Dangerous driving was seen as a big problem for 49% of respondents (increase from previous survey).
• Less than half of respondents felt that the police and other local public services are dealing with crime and ASB successfully – this has been reducing in recent surveys.
• Cleanliness of the streets (34%) and access to green areas (12%) were issues that had increased in dissatisfaction in local communities.