More than 10,000 additional hours of policing provided in city centre

More than 10,000 additional hours of policing were provided in the city centre during the last financial year, helping to reduce reports of crimes in the area.

Home Office GRIP funding allowed the extra visible policing patrols to take place, on top of regular policing patrols, helping to lead to a 6.8 per cent reduction in crime in the city centre with 957 fewer crimes reported compared to the same period last year and a 12 per cent reduction in violent offences which caused injury to people – equal to 241 few recorded offences.

The reduction also follows other proactive police work in the area including targeted drug enforcement operations as well as behavioural change campaigns such as our Walk Away campaign.

Chief Superintendent Shane O’Neill said: “The city centre attracts thousands of people day and night and as such is the area of the force which sees the most recorded crime. While it is therefore positive to see recorded crimes in the area has reduced, our work does not stop here. We continue to target those who are causing the most harm in our communities and to carry out proactive patrols and operations. We also continue to have dedicated teams in force focused on assessing and monitoring the impact our work is having.

“This is alongside work with our partners and other agencies through the Violence Reduction Network which seeks to prevent and reduce violence through effective interventions – includes working with schools to identify children at risk of being involved in violence, as well as with those already offending to help change behaviour.

“Force campaigns - ‘Walk Away’ and ‘You’re Right, That’s Wrong’ - also continue to raise awareness of preventing violent situations and challenging inappropriate behaviour.

“While this work is ongoing, it is also of course important that reports of offences do continue to be made to us so that we can continue to work to prevent and detect these offences. If you are a victim of any type of offence, please do report it to us and please know that support is available to you. Reports can be made online at www.leics.police.uk or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency. If you don’t feel ready to report to police, then please speak with someone who you trust.”