REVEALED: 3,710 crimes in Worksop in the last year, including three kidnaps, 20 rapes and 416 assaults

Twenty rapes of women, 461 shop thefts, 416 assaults with injury and three kidnaps are amongst 3,710 crimes reported to police in Worksop in the last year, it can be revealed.
Inspector Neil Bellamy on the streets of WorksopInspector Neil Bellamy on the streets of Worksop
Inspector Neil Bellamy on the streets of Worksop

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Guardian to Nottinghamshire Police has uncovered the shocking incidents that have taken place on our streets between August 2014 and July 2015.

The statistics amount to about 11 crimes a day, 77.2 a week and 337.2 a month.

The top five hot spot streets in Worksop are: Gateford Road, Bridge Place, Memorial Avenue, Carlton Road and Bridge Street.

There are concerns over a proposed merge of police dog sectionsThere are concerns over a proposed merge of police dog sections
There are concerns over a proposed merge of police dog sections

However, the level of crime in the town has almost stayed the same, with 3,711 incidents being reported between August 2013 and July 2014.

Worksop neighbouring inspector Neil Bellamy said: “The fact that the number of crimes in Worksop has remained largely static at a time of more focussed recording supports recent crime trend analysis indicating that offending in West Bassetlaw has actually reduced steadily over the last five years.

“Whilst there have been increases in the reporting of sexual offences this may be due to a number of factors including the high profile of investigations of historic abuse in Nottinghamshire and increased confidence among victims in reporting such crimes.

“Nottinghamshire Police remains committed to reducing crime and keeping people safe. Violence reduction continues to be a priority with clear focus on domestic violence and the night time economy.

Carlton Road, Worksop.Carlton Road, Worksop.
Carlton Road, Worksop.

He added: “When considering the locations that are highlighted in the Freedom of Information request, as having the highest volumes of calls, it is worth noting that they are either the town’s lengthy arterial routes or, in the case of Bridge Street, areas of a high density retail establishments that are often the victims of theft.”

Police were unable to provide information on the lowest hot spot areas, as 162 street names were recorded as having only one crime on their system.

Other stand-out figures include: ten sexual assaults on female children under the age of 13; 17 threats to kill; 77 harassments; four possession of firearm offences; 109 dwelling burglaries; 58 reports of public fear, alarm and distress and four cases of cruelty to children.

The total number of crimes in Worksop reported to police is one less than between August 2013 and July 2014.

Memorial Avenue, Worksop.Memorial Avenue, Worksop.
Memorial Avenue, Worksop.

Councillor for Worksop north, Gwynneth Jones, said: “As a council we work closely with the police and other partners to ensure that Worksop is a safe place to live and work. We are a key part of the Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership, which works proactively to understand the causes and effects of crime and identify measures to tackle them. The information provided by the police has identified five streets as having higher crime figures, but these are large areas and contain a lot of businesses, so will register more crimes linked to businesses such as theft. As a ward councillor I talk to a lot of people and I certainly don’t feel that Worksop north is less safe than any other area.”

Bassetlaw MP John Mann said: “Crime figures always put things into perspective and I am particularly concerned at the level of sexual crimes being committed. These are clearly not solely crimes on our street but are also being committed behind closed doors. More needs to be done to challenge this behaviour and to bring those responsible to justice.

“The statistics also show that our crime hotspots continue to be around the town centre. This is concerning but we need to recognise that huge cuts have been forced on our police force which makes their role even more difficult. Worksop needs enough frontline police officers to bring down levels of all crime and to make the community feel safe.”

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