Latest police figures show rise locally in violent crime

THERE has been a huge increase in violent crime locally during the past year, according to the latest statistics published by the PSNI.

The number of violent attacks against the person has risen by 359, up 22.3 per-cent when compared to the previous 12 month period – April 2021-April 2022.

Similarly, violent attacks in which an injury was sustained rose by almost a quarter to 566 in the year ending April 2022.

There was also a 41.2 per-cent increase in the number of attacks which did not result in injury to the victim. These were up by 264 to just under 1,000 over the 12 month period.

The figures were presented to a recent meeting of the Fermanagh and Omagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

Overall, increasing crime in the locality was the fifth highest of the North’s policing districts.

Although the numbers of sexual offences, robberies and burglaries all fell by small amounts, there was another increase in the number of drugs offences and thefts from vehicles.

More than 355 drugs offences were dealt with by the PSNI in the period from May 2021 to April 2022.

This was a rise of 30 incidents in the number of offences of possession of drugs on the previous 12 month period, while the number of incidents of drug trafficking also went up by 10 incidents to just over 300.

The overall rise of 12 per-cent in the level of crime in this part of the county eclipses the two other council areas covering Tyrone. The number of crimes reported in Mid-Ulster rose by almost 500 to 5,359 for the year in which the statistics cover, while in Derry City and Strabane the increase was 11.8 per-cent from 9,980 to 11,159.

The figures come as the new District Commander for Fermanagh and Omagh, Mervyn Seffen, pledged to maintain the level of Neighbourhood Policing teams covering each of the local government wards locally.