Work by partner agencies under the umbrella of the Safer Stronger Communities Partnership has resulted in the drop.

Domestic burglary is down 16 per cent and non-domestic burglary is down by six per cent. Theft from a motor vehicle is down by 17 per cent, and theft of a motor vehicle has fallen by 22 per cent. Incidents of robbery remained low but increased by 12, which equates to an increase of 24 per cent. Criminal damage is down by six per cent and there has not been any significant increase in assault causing less serious injury.

Metal thefts, fuel thefts and drive outs from petrol stations are increasing with the rise in the international price of metal and the cost of fuel.

Councillor Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council Cabinet member, welcomed the reduction in overall crime, which is part of a trend that began in 2004. He said:

“Shropshire continues to be one of the safest places to live and work in the country, and it’s important we do our best to keep it that way. As a partnership, we are working on a number of initiatives with the police to continue to drive down crime and make Shropshire a safer place for everyone.”

Over the past year (2010-11) the Safer Stronger Communities Partnership has delivered a number of initiatives aimed at reducing crime and disorder and increasing the safety of local people.

The Safer Stronger Communities Partnership is the community safety partnership for Shropshire, made up of the West Mercia Police, Shropshire Council, West Mercia Police Authority, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, Primary Care Trust and the Probation Service.

Recent partnership projects include tackling underage drinking and alcohol-related harm to young people and taxi marshaling schemes in Shrewsbury and Oswestry.