Cheshire is officially the safest place in the North West according to new statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figures cover the year to September 2024, compared with the previous 12 months.
Cheshire has the lowest crime rate out of all police force areas across the North West of England, with 71 offences per 1,000 people, below the North West average of 94.1 and also well below the national average of 88.1.
Compared with the previous 12 months, the number of offences recorded in Cheshire has fallen by 4%. This includes reductions across a number of categories of crime, including burglary offences (-11%), residential burglary (-13%), vehicle offences (-10%), criminal damage and arson (-12%), and public order offences (-19%).
Chief constable Mark Roberts said: “I am incredibly proud of these figures, which show that Cheshire is now officially the safest place in the North West.
“The statistics reflect the hard work of Cheshire Constabulary’s officers and staff in continuing to ensure Cheshire is a safe place to live, work and visit.
“Only this week, we conducted Operation Crossbow across the north of the county, as part of Cheshire Constabulary’s ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity, including those crossing the border to commit crime in Cheshire.
“We saw a number of arrests and vehicle seizures to tackle the exploitation of vulnerable people and ensure those committing offences on the county’s roads were dealt with robustly.
“Throughout the recent Christmas period, our dedicated officers arrested 1,752 people across the county in a bid to keep people safe.
“The force’s operation – which ran throughout December – saw officers targeting perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and drink and drug driving – with a particular focus on night-time economy hotspot areas.”
Dan Price, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, said: “I welcome the news that overall crime is slightly lower but undoubtedly there are areas where we need to work harder.
“I have prioritised these in my Police and Crime Plan which will be published shortly.”
