Although there has been a rise in sexual and rape offences in the county, Dorset Police has seen an overall 5.4% drop in recorded crime giving it the eighth lowest rate in England and Wales.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics show the Force has continued to see a drop in overall crime for the seventh consecutive quarter covering the 12 months to the end of September 2021.

Deputy chief constable Sam de Reya said: “As we approach two years of the pandemic, we continue to recognise the impact of Covid-19 on reducing some crime types. The published data shows a sustained reduction of crime throughout the year, demonstrating our officers’ and staff’s hard work and professionalism. They have continued to deliver services in a challenging policing environment.

“The Force continues to focus on crime that affects the most vulnerable members of our communities. We remain committed to reducing and preventing sexual offences, including rape, and work closely with our partners to improve the journey for victims and increase positive outcomes.

“We encourage victims to report offences and robustly investigate those responsible and bring offenders to justice supporting and safeguarding the most vulnerable in our communities, provided a safe environment for victims and encouraged them to come forward and report crimes.”

Officers continues to focus on reducing violence against women and girls by targeting crimes such as sexual offending and domestic abuse and providing meaningful support to victims. The Force saw an increase in sexual offences by 7.5%. However, this compares to the national increase of 12%. Whilst rape offences have increased by 8% compared with a national increase of 12.4%.

The latest figures show that compared to the national data, Dorset has delivered a reduction in violence against the person offences – a reduction of 4.6% in Dorset compared to an increase nationally of 8.1%.

Violence with injury dropped by 5.4%, compared to the national average, which was down by 2.7%. Victim Based Crime saw a reduction from 45,239 to 42,486, a decrease of 6.1%.

With the relieving of government restrictions during this period, the Force has seen increased activity. The return of a vibrant night-time economy and the return of events have contributed to an increase in some crime types.

The total number of crimes reported reduced from 51,186 to 48,415 over the 12 months to the end of September 2021, reducing by 3.5 crimes per 1,000 of the population.

David Sidwick, police and crime commissioner for Dorset, said: “I am very pleased to see that the ONS stats have shown yet another drop in recorded crime in Dorset and I am even more pleased to see that Dorset is now ranked eighth for the lowest crime rate in England and Wales. Dorset has also continued to see a drop in overall crime for the seventh consecutive quarter.

“But there is more work to do and the chief constable and I are absolutely determined to drive down crime in Dorset in order to achieve the ambition of our county becoming the safest place in England and Wales.”