Crime on the rise in Wakefield, official figures show

West Yorkshire Police recorded 43,864 offences in Wakefield in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 21% compared to the previous year, when there were 36,270.

And, at 124.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 1,330 were sexual offences – an increase of 31% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 15,209 to 18,675 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 29%, from 4,874 incidents to 6,267.

And theft offences rose by 24%, with 10,786 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 30.7 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Wakefield included:

1,330 sexual offences, a rise of 31%

18,675 violent offences, a rise of 23%

4,148 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 5%

1,023 drug offences, down 10%

282 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 7%

6,330 public order offences, up 31%

10,786 theft offences, a rise of 24%

8,211 stalking and harassment offences, up 18%