By Keziah Cracknell
Is opportunist crime on the rise?
Police forces across the country are continuing to urge people to report any suspicious activity, even as most people continue to stay at home.
In April alone, West Yorkshire Police have received reports of attempted car robberies, house break-ins, and robberies of local stores.
Is Covid-19 causing more opportunist or desperation crime? More people are unemployed and with no certain income, people could feel the need to steal to survive. However, according to the figures, it’s unlikely.
As the rest of the country has seen 0.5% increase in crime in 2019, Kirklees has been one of the few outliers to this trend. On the whole Kirklees crime on average is decreasing, with a 2.8% reduction in crime last year.
Now this is certainly a testament to the police for their hard work, as West Yorkshire are the first Metropolitan force in England and Wales to receive an ‘outstanding’ for ‘crime integrity’ and there has only been one other force been given the same grading.
Obviously, as this is a new year the most recent figures we have to go on are from last year, but it paints a promising picture and hopes for the future that crime will continue to stay down across Kirklees and West Yorkshire, even in these difficult times.