Colchester: Essex Police issue statement on crime in the city

At a Colchester Council meeting held last month, councillor Lee Scordis called for a new approach to tackle antisocial behaviour.

During the meeting Mr Scordis claimed that “things are just not getting better – they are getting worse”.

However, district commander for Colchester, chief inspector Colin Cox has issued a statement on how “Colchester continues to be a really safe part of a really safe county”.

According to the chief inspector, “crime is down” across the district with 1,400 fewer offences reported in the last 12 month.

Mr Cox also claimed crime is falling “quicker in Colchester than the average across Essex”.

Police - chief inspector Colin Cox (Image: Essex Police)

The force says there have been 106 fewer incidents of antisocial behaviour in the last year and it is down 65 per cent from five years ago.

When tackling crime related to businesses in the city, the chief inspector has been meeting monthly with the Colchester Business Against Crime Group and Colchester BID to understand their concerns.

An increase in shoplifting offences has been reported to the police but the force sees it “as a positive” as it encourages offences to be reported.

Essex Police has solved nearly 89 more shoplifting offences in the last 12 months, 27 per cent more than the previous year.

Colchester - High Street (Image: Newsquest)

The chief inspector said: “In two of our city centre wards – Castle and Christ Church – we’ve seen a three per cent and 39 per cent fall in shoplifting incidents respectively.

"We're working with businesses to help in the capture of evidence as well as working in partnership to support exclusion notices, enforcing Public Space Protection Orders, and deal with antisocial behaviour incidents which fall outside of this.

"I am also keen to implement a clear, hold, build approach with partners - to clear an area of an issue, ensure new issues don't arise, and build the area back up for the community. This work must look at the root causes of the antisocial behaviour and enforcement is not the only answer.”

According to Essex Police, violent, domestic, and sexual offences have all fallen, while fewer people had their homes broken into and there's been a drop in people being robbed.

More drug offences have been recorded but these are “often the result of police work” such as stop-and-searches, and warrants.

Essex Police has “invested” in a dedicated team for the city centre, a team made up of two sergeants, ten PCs, and PCSOs.

Chief Insp Cox continued: “In our most recent independent survey 81 per cent of people in Colchester said they believe we do a good or excellent job, the highest rating in the county.

The force - two police officers (Image: Essex Police)

“And nearly 75 per cent said they felt they would get a good service from us if they were to report a crime.

"However, I am not complacent and there is always more to do and my message to people living and working here is to keep telling us about any issues they see or experience.

"Even if you don’t see an immediate response, these reports build a picture of where we’re seeing issues arise.

“Allowing us to work with partners like Colchester Council to devote resources where they are needed, or to form a longer-term solution to meet the problem head-on."