Latest figures shows that Wiltshire has the lowest recorded crime per head of population in England, but the data isn't enough for the chief constable.

Annual ONS figures showing all the recorded crime across England and Wales have given Wiltshire reason to celebrate, as it can officially claim to be the 'safest county in the country'.

From June 2023-2024 there were a total of 40,477 recorded crimes (excluding fraud) in Wiltshire.

While this may sound like a lot, it's actually a seven per cent decrease on the last year, and works out at 53.9 crimes per 1,000 people in Wiltshire.

The national average is 89.1 crimes per 1,000 people, meaning that Wiltshire is considerably safer than every other county in England and Wales when accounting for population size.

But while the latest figures are welcome news and a sign of things going well at Wiltshire Police, Police Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson says there is still work to be done.

The area covered by Wiltshire Police is the safest in the county, when accounting for population sizeWiltshire Police's area is the safest in the county, when accounting for population size (Image: Newsquest) “While the statistics on Wiltshire Police recorded crimes paint a positive picture, it is not enough for residents to be told they are safe, but instead we must ensure they feel safe in their communities too," said PCC Wilkinson.

“The only way we can do this is to ensure we are continuously working to rebuild public confidence within the force, by working closely with partners and victims themselves.

“We need to ensure that residents are receiving a consistent and high standard of policing service, without this we cannot be confident that recorded crimes covered by these statistics are reflective of the realities our communities are living in.

“We know we cannot eradicate crime completely, but we can continue to make the necessary improvements and build upon this generally positive picture to ensure the public feel safe living, working and visiting Wiltshire.”

Crimes that have seen a particular reduction in Wiltshire include 'violence against a person' which is down 10 per cent, and 'robbery' which is down 33 per cent.

Reports of burglary are also down eight per cent, something which Chief Constable Catherine Roper has made an operational priority in the last year.

Despite this positive outlook, there were still increases in specific crime types within Wiltshire including sexual offences (up by one per cent), vehicle offences (up by eight per cent), theft from a person (up 13 per cent) and possession of weapon offences (up five per cent).

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