A strategic assessment provides a ‘snapshot’ of crime and community safety in order to aid understanding of crime and disorder issues, to explore future threats and opportunities, and considers where resources can be focused to make the most difference.
The Devon Strategic Assessment covers the Devon County Council area only whilst the Peninsula Strategic Assessment covers the Devon and Cornwall police force area.
The Peninsula Strategic Assessment is the most recent of these assessments and highlights the following priorities in relation to crime and community safety:
- Domestic, family and sexual abuse
- Alcohol, violence and the night time economy
- Anti-social behaviour
- Reoffending.
Two further risk areas are identified through the assessment process where there is a requirement to develop our local understanding and establish appropriate responses:
- Hate crime and hidden harm
- Preventing violent extremism.
Figure 6.1 provides an overview of the pattern of recorded crime across the peninsula. It highlights increases in the levels of reporting for domestic abuse, violence without injury, sexual offences, shoplifting, public order offences, possession of weapons, hate crime and road traffic casualties. Reductions in robbery, burglary and vehicle crime are also seen with the overall level of crime remaining fairly static.
Figure 6.1 Recorded Crime in Devon and Cornwall, 2013-14
Source: Peninsula Strategic Assessment, 2014-15