Key Data (Crime)

> In 2009/10 the South West had the second lowest regional rate of recorded crime in England and Wales. The region's recorded crime rate was 66 offences per 1,000 population compared to 79 per 1,000 population in England and Wales as a whole.

> In 2009/10, 343,782 crimes were recorded by police forces in the South West.

> Recorded crime in the South West region in 2009/10 had decreased by 9% compared to the previous year and decreased by 26% since 2002/03. In comparison, recorded crime in England and Wales as a whole also decreased by 8% compared to the previous year, and decreased by 26% since 2002/03.

> Measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS), the rate of household crime and personal crime in the South West region remained stable in 2009/10 from the previous year and was not statistically significantly different from the rate for England and Wales as a whole. (See Introduction below for an explanation of the differences between recorded crime and BCS methodologies).

> The Avon & Somerset police force area had the highest rate of recorded crime out of the five police force areas. In the region at 79 offences per 1,000 population. This was the same rate as the England and Wales average.

> The South West overall had recorded crime rates (per 1,000 population) lower than the England and Wales average for violence against the person, burglary, offences against vehicles, other theft offences, fraud and forgery, criminal damage and drug offences.

> There are notable distinctions in crime rates between urban and rural areas of the region. Some 39% of the region's population live in local authorities classified as ‘predominantly urban’, which is where 54% of all recorded crime in 2009/10 was recorded. The recorded crime rate in ‘predominantly urban’ areas in 2009/10 was 91 per 1,000 population, compared to 48 per 1,000 population in ‘predominantly rural’ areas, and 63 per 1,000 population in the (two) areas classed as ‘significantly rural’ (a category in between ‘predominantly urban’ and ‘predominantly rural’).

> The areas with the highest rates of recorded crime in 2009/10 in the South West were Bristol with 127 offences per 1,000 population, Bournemouth with 108 offences per 1,000 population, and Gloucester with 97 offences per 1,000 population.

> The areas with the lowest rates of recorded crime in 2009/10 in the South West were Isles of Scilly and West Devon, with 17 and 26 offences per 1,000 population respectively.

> According to the BCS, the proportion of people in 2009/10 perceiving there to be high levels of anti-social behaviour was statistically significantly lower in the South West (10%) than the England and Wales average (14%).

> The BCS interviews for 2009/10 showed that the proportion of people perceiving drug use or dealing to be a very or fairly big problem in their area was also statistically significantly lower in the South West (19%) than the England and Wales average (26%).

> The 2009/10 BCS showed that 8% of those (aged 16-59) living in the South West reported using any illicit drug in the last year, which was in line with the England and Wales average.

> Confidence in the local police in the South West region overall (60% of people thinking they did an excellent or good job) was similar to the England and Wales average (56%). Confidence in the police was statistically significantly higher in Dorset (62%) and Devon & Cornwall (63%) compared with the national average.