Crime continues to fall in the Winchester district

Violent crime in the city centre fell from 143 in 2012-13 to 124 in 2013-24, a fall of 13 per cent.

Domestic incidents and crimes across the district dropped from 991 to 919 over the same time, seven per cent down.

The falls come amid police belt tightening in the face of cuts and preparing the most radical changes in local policing in decades.

The city council overview and scrutiny committee heard from Chief Inspector Darius Hemmatpour.

He said the North Walls police station would close this spring with CID detectives moving to Basingstoke and response officers relocating to the fire station in Winnall.

Neighbourhood police will move to Mottisfont Court on the Upper High Street.

The former county council building will become an operational HQ at Christmas, housing more than 300 staff, a police spokesman told the Hampshire Chronicle.

In Winchester district the number of police constables was dropping by three but four police and community support officers were replacing them.

Overall the district will share 13 constables.

Across Hampshire 500 police officers were going, through natural wastage by the end of 2016.

Cllr Linda Gemmell said people in the rural areas, where some crimes were up, were worried about the lack of police cover after midnight.

Some rural crime was up sharply – sexual offences climbed from 15 in 2012-13 to 50, and robbery from two to four and violence against the person up to 250 from 243.

CI Hemmatpour said the Jimmy Savile effect was being felt, with many victims now feeling able to report historic offences.

The committee heard that street pastors continue to be very successful. In the three months from July 1 to September 30 they gave out 90 flip flops, 98 drinks of water, 119 hot chocolates/soups, 1,296 lollies, nine space blankets, 18 care support cards and four items of faith-based literature.

One hundred and 43 contacts were made with the homeless.

The key to the success was more flexible working between all the agencies such as police, fire service and local government.

Barbara Swyer, a former director of Hampshire Probation Trust, said the Crime Reduction Company had taken over managing medium and low-risk offenders.

From February 1 Purple Futures would be buying CRC and taking over its work.

Under the Offender Rehabilitation Act, from February 1, for the first time every prisoner leaving jail, no matter how short the sentence, would have a proper plan for his release.