Cheshire PCC vows to understand cause of crime increase in county

The Police and Crime Commissioner's statement comes after new figures show rise in reports to the constabulary

Yesterday figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed there had been a near 40 percent increase in recorded crime across Cheshire between December 2016 and December 2017.

The rises are being attributed to a serious up-turn in thefts recorded by the officers throughout the region. Vehicle thefts have risen, with a number of appeals from local police stations being issued in recent months warning owners of high-end motor cars and 4x4's to be vigilant as thieves target them.

There has also been a spate of burglaries in Cheshire where gold jewelry has been of specific interest to criminals. These issues were singled out by the PCC as some of the issues that are contributing to the statistics.

David Keane said in his statement that he was keen to understand whether there was a link between the results of the ONS findings and the impact of austerity and introduction of Universal Credit. A clear suggestion of trying to put a connection between government measures and the impact driving people to commit offences to make ends meet.

Mr Keane said: "It is disappointing to see that there has been an increase in the amount of crimes recorded across Cheshire over the last year."

"My role as commissioner is to hold the acting chief constable to account on behalf of all Cheshire residents and I will be working very closely with her to understand why we're seeing an increase in these types of offences."