CRIME figures were down for West Devon for the past year ? with the exception of those for criminal damage, which showed a nine per cent increase. Data is recorded by Devon and Cornwall Police from April to April, and the categories included in the British Crime Survey showed a reduction of 5.2% compared with last year. Individually, vehicle crime was reduced by 12.2%, violent crime by 21.4% and house burglaries by 1.6%. Kara Sherwood-Davies, the sector inspector for West Devon, described the figures as ?very encouraging?. ?We have been very focussed this year in adapting ourselves to give the best possible service, and the reductions we are seeing are due to the commitment of our police officers, police staff and partners,? Inspector Sherwood-Davies said. ?Our biggest challenge now is to achieve the same reductions in criminal damage, and we are working towards this already. It is a well-known fact that West Devon is a safe place to live and these figures remind us of that. ?We know there is still a lot to do, and we are never complacent, but this is good news and reflects the efforts that we have made.?
