The figures released on Thursday October 27 show that overall crime rose by 9.3 per cent in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly during the 12 months to June 30 2022 which is lower than the national average which rose by 12.5 per cent.
The rise in crime was expected this year as figures from 2020 and 2021 showed a significant reduction in crime as the country was subjected to covid-19 lockdowns.
The newly-released statistics show there has been a rise of 21.8 per cent in sexual offences compared to the previous year and burglary offences in Devon and Cornwall have fallen by 1.1 per cent.
Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: ‘Recorded crime data is one of the tools I use to understand the picture of offending in Devon and Cornwall.
‘A rise in some crime types, such as sexual offences where there has been greater public awareness around the expectation to better protect women and girls, can indicate that victims of crime have greater confidence in the police or are more motivated to seek justice, particularly for offences that may have happened to them as a child or young adult.
‘I am pleased that Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have some of the lowest rates of neighbourhood crimes in the country but there is still much work to be done to tackle violence, including that linked to the illegal drug trade. Our force will be working with five other forces this winter on Operation Scorpion, which will see users and dealers targeted in significant enforcement activity across the South West, telling our communities that our region is no place for drugs.’