More reports of sexual offences and neighbourhood crimes in town, figures show

Serious sexual offences and neighbourhood crime are on the rise in Lynn while figures show less than 10% have been solved.A new report has revealed the challenges faced by Norfolk Constabulary to tackle crime in the town.Statistics show just 9% of home burglaries and 15.8% of robberies committed in the last 12 months have been solved.

While the number of serious violent crimes and domestic abuse reported to the police have fallen.CRIME RISESThe statistics show a mixed picture over the last 12 months. The category that has seen the biggest increase is neighbourhood crime. This includes home burglaries, criminal damage, anti-social behaviour and motor vehicle thefts.In the last year, 9% of home burglaries have been solved while 28% have resulted in a suspect being identified but no further action has been taken. There has also been a 15% reduction in the number of residential burglaries.Serious sexual offences have risen by 6.2% this past year while the number of offences solved has decreased to 7.6%.

Inspector Ben Jarvis of Lynn Police said this increase equates to 10 crimes and that the majority of these crimes take place within a domestic abuse context rather than in public.“There is a huge push on the protection of vulnerable people, women and girls from both serious and sexual violence. “Subsequently, more people are feeling empowered to come forward, work with the police, and ultimately seek help from all of the services involved.”More than 45% of the suspects were identified but no further action was taken while 44 cases remain open.Child sexual abuse has dropped by nearly 20%, with 73 investigations opened this year.VIOLENT CRIME DECLINES There has been a big drop in violent crime in Lynn over the last 12 months.This includes a 38% drop in grievous bodily harm.Overall the number of serious violent crimes has fallen by 18%.The number of victims of domestic abuse coming forward to the police fell by 7% in the last 12 months. More than 20% of those are repeat victims.No figures were provided for the arrest rate for domestic abuse crimes.Last year 19 robberies were reported and there were just five crimes involving knives.Less than 16% of robberies were solved and more than half of violent crimes reported led to a suspect being identified but no further action was taken. The number of motor vehicles being stolen is also down 9.1%.POLICING POSITIVESWhile there are some increases, overall Lynn Police believe overall crime is declining rather than increasing in the town.Inspector Jarvis said: “There are many good news stories for the community of King’s Lynn, with the positives considerably more significant than the negatives.“The people of King’s Lynn can be reassured officers work tirelessly to keep their community safe, clearly shown in these positive figures.”