RECORDED crime in Okehampton town centre has reduced substantially in the last year, according to figures announced last week.

The town centre has seen a fall in recorded crime by 21.3% between April 2014 and March 2015. However, Okehampton rural east has seen the same number of recorded crimes and Okehampton rural west has seen an increase in crimes by 20.9%.

PC David Pickles, neighbourhood beat manager for Okehampton, said: 'Crime in Okehampton does remain low. We continue to work hard in the community to reduce crime and address peoples' concerns.

'We are helped in this by the addition of three new police community support officers as well as a large number of special constables — we now have nine — which is helping to reduce the fear of crime in the community.'

PC Pickles said the number of recorded crimes in the area was still very low, so the percentage figure did not necessarily give a true reflection of crime in the community.

'In relation to Okehampton rural west, with the assault figures and criminal damage figures, it is probable that this relates to one dispute, so doesn't reflect what is happening in the wider community,' said PC Pickles.

'With our patrol officers, neighbourhood beat team and special constables, we will continue to work hard to reduce crime in the Okehampton community.'

In the town centre the number of recorded crimes has reduced in total from 375 to 295. The crime groups with the biggest fall include rape (down from eight to one), non-dwelling burglary (down 58.8%), vehicle offences (down 65.5%) and shoplifting (down 42.2%).

In Okehampton rural east, although the overall number of recorded crimes has stayed the same, there has been an increase in violence, non-dwelling burglaries and public order offences and a decrease in vehicle offences, theft and dwelling burglaries.

In Okehampton rural west, the increase in recorded crime is up from 172 to 208, with the main increases being seen in criminal damage (up 137.5%), violence without injury (up 37.5%) and non-dwelling burglaries (up 33.3%).

It has, however, seen a decrease in sexual offences (down 20%) and dwelling burglaries (down 20%).

Overall reported crime in West and North Devon has dropped between April 2014 and March 2015 from 8,646 to 8,084. All together, crime in Devon and Cornwall has also reduced by 5.2% — 4,417 fewer crimes.

During the same period, victim-based reported crimes reduced by 5.9%. The force has seen a number of reductions in areas, including burglary (down 9.7%), vehicle crime (down 10.4%), criminal damage (down 5.7%) and theft (down 12.3%).

Historical figures from the Office of National Statistics, also released last week, show that Devon and Cornwall had a 4.3% fall in total recorded crime (excluding fraud) between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, compared to the same period the previous year.

Deputy chief constable Bill Skelly said: 'This is a commendable achievement by officers and staff who have been working incredibly hard over the last 12 months and shows that Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly continues to be one of the safest places to live in the country.

'We are doing everything we can to reduce crime while ensuring victims have the best support, exemplified by our newly launched Victim Care Unit.'

Devon and Cornwall Police's figures show a rise in reporting of sexual offences (up 20.1%) in the past 12 months.

DCC Skelly said: 'Victims are central to everything we do. As a police force we focus on the crimes that have the most adverse impact on people's lives.

'In the past, domestic abuse and sexual offences have traditionally been significantly under reported to police. In partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner we have continued over the last 12 months to encourage victims to come forward to police.

'These areas remain to be a high priority for the force and we hope that an increase in sexual offences figures show that victims have more confidence in reporting these crimes.

'Overall, the fall in reported crime is encouraging and this is down to the excellent work of officers and staff who continue to rise to these challenges to keep our communities safe especially under the tightening financial restraints.'