The people most likely to be criminals and victims in South Tyneside: New study profiles crime in borough

A new report has revealed most criminals are white males, aged between 21 and 31, while those they target are mainly aged 23 to 50 and living in areas of high deprivation.

The South Tyneside Community Safety Partnership’s (CSP) annual study also shows burglary and violence are the crimes recognised by the authorities as impacting hardest and alcohol is also a main factor in offending - a factor in 30 percent of the borough’s violent crime.

The figures come as the partnership, made up of eight agencies, including South Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police and the Probation Service, details its past year successes - and hopes for the next 12 months.

Successes include a 15 percent reduction in anti-social behaviour (ASB) calls to police, a 33 percent reduction in alcohol-related ASB, and a 19 percent drop in youth-related ASB.

Over 95 percent of ASB cases were closed as resolved, and 78 percent of offenders working with Community Rehabilitation Company completed their sentence.

The CSP also reaffirmed its commitment to reducing high impact offending by outlining five priority areas.

These are to reduce crime, including reoffending, address domestic and sexual abuse, put victims first, deal with ASB, and deliver community confidence.

In a joint statement, Coun Moira Smith, chairwoman of the Community Safety Partnership, and Chief Superintendent Ged Noble, Northumbria Police Area Commander, vowed to work to maintain low crime levels.

They said: “We cannot ignore the fact that crime and anti-social behaviour are blight on our communities and we pledge to take all actions and improve our partnership response to those crimes which have the highest impact on our residents.

“South Tyneside continues to be a very safe place to live, work and visit with very low levels of crime compared to our statistical neighbours.

“It is our aim to ensure that through partnership working we will continue to tackle the issues which affect and matter to local people and sustain our positive performance in reducing crime.”

Figures show total crime has reduced by 18 percent in the past decade.

The risk of an individual being a victim of crime stands at less than four percent of the population, between October 2015 and September 2016.