'˜Shocking' number of violent and sexual offences in the town centre

Violence and sexual offence incident figures have been described as '˜shocking' by the MP for Crawley.
Crawley town centre crime mapCrawley town centre crime map
Crawley town centre crime map

According to the Police UK crime map, a total of 411 crimes of violence and sexual offence have been reported in the town centre since April last year, a 1.16 per cent rise from the previous year.

Included in these figures are 39 incidents of anti-social-behaviour and 33 of violence and sexual offence, many reported in the busiest part of town, surrounding the High Street and the Boulevard.

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Henry Smith MP said: “I think that any sexual assault and violent incident is shocking and that is the reason why I’m pleased Katie Bourne, the crime commissioner, is recruiting another 200 officers over the next coming couple of years.”

He acknowledged that he is concerned with the level

of crime.

Mr Smith, who has joined on-duty officers several times, said: “Crawley is a vibrant and busy town that offers many restaurants, pubs and clubs, and I think alcohol is another factor. Certainly, what I’ve seen, when I’ve been out with the police in the early hours of the morning, is again after a lot of alcohol consumption, and I think some of those sexual and indeed violent crimes are a direct result of both alcohol and other substances.”

The MP said it is a priority to keep Crawley safe and he is working closely with Rosie Ross, the district commander, to tackle crime levels by keeping police presence around town.

To view the crime map of the town centre, visit: https://www.police.uk/sussex/WR5NH3/crime/

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Report by Chelsea Kerley - Trainee Journalist, Brighton Journalist Works

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