-: Jun 14, 2017 / admin

Crime Rates in Bristol


It’s a sad fact that crime rates in Bristol are ever growing, but one we must come to terms with. Avon and Somerset Constabulary report that in January 2017 alone there were 2,391 cases of anti-social behaviour, 958 of burglary, 113 of robbery, 1,074 of vehicle related crimes,  3,656 violent crimes, and a shocking 52 cases of crimes which involved the use of weapons. Imagine how statistics like this could affect your day to day life and business.

Headlines such as, “Violent crime in Bristol increases by 30 per cent” from the 19 April 2017 Bristol Post do little to comfort us. “Every force in England and Wales, bar Nottinghamshire, recorded significant increases in serious incidents – with a rise in reported knife is also giving police chiefs cause for concern,” they write. The report goes on to say that some areas of Bristol have seen an increase of 50% over the last year, which fits in with the bigger picture of what is happening all over the UK.

When Police fired a Taser at their own race relations adviser the situation reached new lows. 63 year old Judah Adunbi was mistook for a man wanted by the police in Easton, and is seen being Tasered in particularly harrowing video footage. The Guardian quoted him saying that, “I felt that was it. Because of the way I fell back. The way I fell backward on the back of my head. I was just paralysed. I thought that was it. I thought they were taking my life.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed and the incident will be thoroughly investigated. But surely this is a sign that events out on the streets are getting ever more difficult to deal with, and that a paralysing confusion setting in.

In January 2017 there were also 973 cases of shoplifting, 1,287 of criminal damage and arson, 212 of drugs related crimes, and 206 cases of bike theft. How are we to deal with statistics like this?

Thankfully there are measures we can take to defend ourselves and our loved ones. In the 2016 policy paper ‘Modern crime prevention strategy,’ the six drivers of crime are set out. Opportunity, character, effectiveness of the criminal justice system, profit, drugs, and alcohol are listed as the key factors we must take into consideration. But first and foremost is opportunity. Please, do not let criminals have the opportunity to target you, and consider how you can use our security guard services in Bristol to safeguard yourself.

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