Praise due for lower crime rate

A 5 per cent drop in reported crime is surely something to be celebrated.

It is indicative of the hard work our men and women in blue put into preventing crime and solving it when it does happen.

Of course, no one would say the battle is won, and more than 4700 offences attest to that, along with the thousands of people who count themselves as victims.

The degree to which they have been affected by the various criminal activities will depend on the individual circumstances of each case.

Likewise, how they carry that beyond the event will vary from person to person, but the impact can not be underestimated.

That's why we need to look closely at the data released yesterday and acknowledge the good work done in and around our city.

Of course, cynics will argue that there is a significant portion of crime that goes unreported, and that is true.

It is hard to see a reason to report a minor burglary, for instance, when there is only a 20 per cent chance of it being solved. And to many people, that is what matters, that the crime committed against them is solved and the person responsible held to account.

What they won't like is that while crime rates across a range of categories have declined, so too has the level of resolution.

Worryingly, while homicides, acts intended to cause injury, theft, and property damage offending have reportedly declined, there has been an 8.3 per cent increase in sexual attacks.

That shouldn't take away from the good work our police and non-sworn backup staff do.

Initiatives like neighbourhood policing units are clearly making inroads.

We should take this annual dose of data as an opportunity to say "Well done" and acknowledge their efforts.