By Thomas Carter
The proportion of violent or sexual offences out of the overall crime rate in Leicester has doubled over the last five years, recent figures have shown.
According to CrimeRate.co.uk, the number of crimes involving violence or sexual offences has reached 17,022 this year, accounting for 41 per cent of overall crime in the city.
The rate is a drastic increase on previous years, seeing a rise of more than double since 2016 when it was only 19.9 per cent.
In response to the figures, an official spokesperson for the Leicestershire Police Force told Leicestershire Press: “The force recognises that serious violence – especially that which leads to the death of a person – can have a devastating impact on the families of those involved and our communities.
“Just one death is a death too many and our officers continue to work and engage with communities and partners, through the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) to tackle the causes of street-based violence to prevent further harm.
“Between April 2019 and March 2021, there has been a decrease in incidents of knife-enabled, street-based violence for all age groups – including those under 25.”
In comparison to other crimes, violence and sexual offences are one of the few rates that have seen a constant increase in the last five years, alongside public order and drug-related crime.
When considering England, Northern Ireland and Wales as a whole, Leicester is among the top 20 most dangerous cities, having an overall crime rate of 97 crimes per 1,000 people in 2020.
On the matter of tackling the rising crime rate, the Leicestershire Police spokesperson added: “The force is currently running a hotspot policing trial, which aims to disrupt serious violence in targeted areas where violence is most common and further investment has been made with the introduction of school liaison officers, who work in a number of schools within these locations to engage with children and young people to divert and support them away from criminality and harm.
“The number of sexual offences – including sexual offences and rape – remain low and the force employs teams of specially-trained officers to investigate such incidents and offer support to victims.”
For further information and advice regarding subjects discussed in this article, please visit https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/
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