As reported in the summer issue of Rochford District Matters, the District ranks seventh in Great Britain as a choice place to live in a survey that looks at factors affecting the quality of life.

Rochford’s low crime rate is a contributory factor in the District’s appeal and recent figures show that offences overall continue to fall.

Crime statistics published by the Home Office reveal a fall of four per cent in seven key offences and British Crime Survey (BCS) comparator offences in 2008/2009 compared with the previous 12 months.

Violence offences were down 16 per cent, theft of motor vehicles 14 per cent, and thefts from motor vehicles 20 per cent.

Dwelling burglaries however showed a rise of 43 per cent from 119 to 170. This equates to five burglaries for every 1,000 households in the District over a year.

The National Crime Statistics report combines police recorded crime and the results of the BCS which measures the amount of offences by asking people about crimes they have experienced in the last year. The BCS includes crimes not reported to the police and is an important alternative to police records.

Further encouraging news came from a third research source, IQuanta, which confirmed that Rochford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) had again outperformed its targets in relation to crime reduction.

The CDRP achieved a reduction of 8.9 per cent against a target of 5 per cent in all crime, and since April 2004 Rochford has reduced its BCS Crime by 32.9 per cent against a crime target to March 2008 of 13.5 per cent. This – in terms of per cent – is the biggest decrease across the whole of the Eastern Region.

Each year the CDRP is legally obliged under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to undertake a Strategic Assessment and Annual Partnership Plan.

The aim of the Strategic Assessment is to identify current patterns, trends, future gaps and risks that impact upon Rochford District and the communities it serves, linked to crime, Anti-Social Behaviour, substance misuse, fear of crime and behaviour adversely affecting the environment.

The Strategic Assessment for 2009/2010 (year two) has recently been completed and the actions within the Partnership Plan reviewed and amended.

The Partnerships priorities for 2009/2010 are:

• Reduce domestic burglary by five per cent
• Reduce Anti-Social Behaviour by five per cent
• Improve public engagement and increase public reassurance
• Reduce the number of repeat victims of domestic violence by five per cent
• Increase reporting rates of domestic abuse by five per cent
• Reduce alcohol and substance related disorder by five per cent.