New figures show that officers in Cleveland are dealing with higher crime rates than anywhere else in the country

5 January 2022

Officers in Cleveland are dealing with higher crime rates than anywhere else in the country, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS compiled crime figures per 100,000 people in the year leading to June 2021 for force areas across England and Wales. Cleveland Police emerged with the highest figure at 114.9 recorded crimes per 100,000 people.

West Yorkshire Police was in second place on the list for overall crime in England and Wales, with 111.6 crimes per 1,000 people. It was followed by Greater Manchester with 107.9 crimes.

The figures highlight the outstanding work carried out by the many officers on the region’s front line and working behind the scenes, Cleveland Police Federation said.

Stephen Williams-Reader, Chair of Cleveland Police Federation, praised the constabulary’s exceptional workforce. He said: “We are a small force with metropolitan demands. Everyone plays their part, from control room and intelligence teams supporting officers with taskings, to neighbourhood teams targeting those that cause harm to our communities, response officers providing that essential first responder to those in need, firearm units responding every day to reports of suspects carrying firearms and other lethal weapons, and our road policing unit targeting those using the roads to cause harm.

“We also need to pay tribute to our safeguarding teams providing support to victims of crime, targeting those that seek to cause harm and our detectives working hard to dismantle and disrupt organised crime and put the suspects in jail, and our prisoner handling teams providing essential support dealing with prisoners allowing officers to remain available for the next call.”

Stephen said the number of detainees arrested continues to rise, bringing Cleveland level with forces such as GMP and Merseyside.

He added: “These figures are the result of officers doing their job, every day. How do we reduce this demand? Recruitment is ongoing but it will take a number of years for the books to be balanced. In the meantime we constantly need to look at having staff in the right places with the right equipment and training.