Manchester against crime

CRIME has been slashed by 10 per cent in Greater Manchester in just one year.

There were 301,032 offences in the year to March - compared to 333,776 the previous year.

Serious violent crime was down 14.6 per cent, burglaries 11.1 per cent and robberies 9.4 per cent.

The dramatic improvements were achieved almost entirely while Greater Manchester Police was under the control of Michael Todd (pictured).

The troubled chief constable was found dead on a Welsh mountain on March 11 after colleagues expressed fears about his apparent depression.

But the figures - seen only by a handful of police chiefs and published widely for the first time today - prove he had continued to slash crime since taking over in 2002. GMP met 11 of its 16 key targets.

A total of 21,686 burglaries were recorded, down from 24,385 the previous year. GMP put this down largely to an awareness campaign, called Lock Up, Keep 'Em Out.

Reflected

The number of robberies dropped to 7,471 from 8,250. Police said that reflected increased used of automated number-plate recognition, `hotspot' patrols, and Operation Tomahawk, which targeted offenders and shops used to trade stolen goods.

Serious violent crimes fell from 1,831 to 1,563, while less serious violence against the person was down 9.1 per cent, from 34,616 to 31,478. Only south Manchester and Wigan saw rises.

The five targets missed included a bid to cut firearm discharges from 120 to 114. There were 144 shots fired. Robberies aimed at financial institutions were also up, from 58 to 66. While detection rates for hate crime, rapes and robbery went up, it was slower than targets police set.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson said the figures were a `fitting legacy' to Mr Todd's leadership. "There are big reductions in crime but also we have very big improvements in detection rates.

"Since he became chief, burglaries have nearly halved. This year is a fitting legacy to him."