CRIME rates for murder, violence, drugs and weapons all increased in Barnsley in 2018 according to latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figures, which reflect a mixed result, show criminal damage and arson were both reduced - despite localised increases in theft in Barnsley town centre and a ‘worst-ever’ summer of arson attacks - but violence-related offences rocketed by 13 per cent.
The stats show 108 violent crimes took place between January and August in Barnsley, the busiest period of the year, with South Yorkshire as a whole recording 15 murders - four of which occurred in Barnsley.
Clare Smith, Jill Hibberd, Dawid Szubert and Gary Dean were all killed during that spell, although none were linked and police said the public have no need to be concerned about the spate.
Chf Supt Scott Green, district commander for Barnsley, said: “We expected the increase in homicides but it’s important to say that we’ve secured convictions in three out of four so far, with a trial to come in relation to Mr Dean’s murder.
“We’ve posted genuine reductions in antisocial behaviour and that’s to do with the return of the neighbourhood policing teams, as well as better recording of incidents.
“There have been some changes in the way the Home Office record crimes, so that’s why there’s been an increase across South Yorkshire for things such as stalking and harassment.
“Knife crime is not something we’ve seen much of in Barnsley, but that’s not to say we’re being complacent and we need to keep talking to our youngsters to discourage them if they’re thinking about carrying a weapon.
“Overall it is a positive picture and it’s a reflection of the journey the force is on.”
South Yorkshire bucked a national trend and posted a two per cent decrease in its overall crime, but concerns over the increases in serious incidents such as the murder spike have been allayed by police bosses this week.
Deputy Chf Cons Mark Roberts added: “I am encouraged to see an overall reduction in crime in South Yorkshire in the latest ONS crime stats.
“We are totally committed to reducing crime and this overall drop is the result of our officers’ hard work to ensure that the region’s communities remain a safe place in which to work, visit and live.
“Although increases in some areas - including drug offences and possession of weapons - may appear to be a cause for concern, they are crime types that reflect our proactive approach and are priority areas for the force.
“We therefore put a lot of emphasis on taking prompt and decisive action against those who engage in this type of crime.
“We experienced a significant spike in homicides during this period, however our teams worked extremely swiftly to identify suspects in all cases, with a number of these now going through the judicial process.
“We need to work with partners to get people off drugs and we need to work with schools to ensure young people understand the risks.”
