NEWS FEATURE
CRIME IN NEWPORT - THE FACTS
NOT ALL CRIME IS REPORTED. BUT IT IS THE ONLY INFORMATION WE HAVE. REPORTED CRIME IN NEWPORT HAS DROPPED BY OVER 8 PER CENT WHEN YOU COMPARE THIS FINANCIAL YEAR TO LAST. THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HAVE REDUCED FROM 9224 to 8440 IN THE SIX MONTH PERIOD FROM APRIL-SEPTEMBER 2008 AS AGAINST APRIL-SEPTEMBER 2007.
THERE ARE 140,000 RESIDENTS IN NEWPORT, LIVING IN APPROXIMATELY 60,000 HOMES. THE POPULATION OF THE CITY INCREASES EVERY DAY WITH AN INFLUX OF WORKERS AND AT NIGHT PEOPLE HEADING TO THE BARS AND CLUBS IN CAERLEON AND THE CITY CENTRE. FOR MOST PEOPLE CONTACT WITH CRIME IS RARE.
HOWEVER, VEHICLE CRIME (1057 INSTANCES), OTHER THEFT AND HANDLING OF STOLEN GOODS (2134), CRIMINAL DAMAGE (1623), AND NON-SERIOUS FORMS OF WOUNDING (926) ARE THE MOST COMMON CRIMES TO OCCUR IN THE NEWPORT AREA. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE 421 BURGLARIES, 20 INSTANCES OF ALLEGED RAPE, 70 RECORDED SEXUAL OFFENCES, 135 INSTANCES OF SERIOUS WOUNDING AND 3 HOMICIDES / ATTEMPTED MURDERS.
LEVEL OF RECORDED CRIME BY WARD
| WARD | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | % CHANGE |
| Alway | 506 | 481 | -4.9 |
| Caerleon | 267 | 289 | +8.2 |
| Langstone | 119 | 88 | -26.2 |
| Llanwern | 77 | 100 | +29.9 |
| Ringland | 484 | 449 | -7.2 |
| Bettws | 510 | 435 | -14.7 |
| Graig | 147 | 142 | -3.4 |
| Malpas | 240 | 256 | +6.7 |
| Rogerstone | 278 | 305 | +9.7 |
| Allt-yr-yn | 384 | 312 | -18.8 |
| Gaer | 496 | 454 | -8.5 |
| Shaftsbury | 344 | 323 | -6.1 |
| Stow Hill | 1822 | 1583 | -13.1 |
| Beechwood | 340 | 311 | -8.5 |
| Lliswerry | 870 | 740 | -14.9 |
| St. Julians | 448 | 381 | -15.0 |
| Victoria | 692 | 740 | +6.9 |
| Marshfield | 179 | 199 | +11.2 |
| Pillgwenlly | 717 | 568 | -20.8 |
| Tredegar Park | 304 | 284 | -6.6 |
SOURCE - Gwent Police, Division A (Newport)