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Crime offences for burglary, personal robbery and shoplifting have significantly dropped over the past year.
But the COVID-19 lockdown has seen a spike in domestic violence, safeguarding issues and fly-tipping in the Epping Forest district.
34% increase in solved crimes
New figures released by Essex Police show a 34% increase in solved crimes across the district and a 3.5% reduction in crime across the county.
The figures cover July 2019 to July 2020 – encompassing lockdown.
Community Resilience team
Our Community Resilience team includes 3 Essex Police officers funded by Epping Forest District Council. Based at the Civic Offices in Epping, they have been working flat out on a whole variety of district-based crimes.
In the past 3 months alone they’ve been involved with:
- A business closure notice on a premises in Waltham Abbey that was being used to supply sexual services during COVID-19 lockdown
- Working with housing to investigate a problem property in Waltham Abbey which was the centre of anti-social behaviour and drugs use / supply. The team served a Community Protection Warning followed by a Community Protection Notice
- Application and service of a closure order on a Mansion Party venue in Roydon linked to violence and disorder and intervention in several other such venues across the district – read Closure order on Roydon property
- Recovery of a recently stolen vehicle in a chop-shop and arrest of 3 offenders who were in the process of dismantling a stolen Mercedes Sprinter van
Keep the district and its residents safe
Cllr Holly Whitbread, Cabinet Member for Housing and Community said:
COVID-19 has been the catalyst for many of these issues.
People being locked down together, at home, not seeing relatives or socialising has caused a ‘pressure cooker’ effect resulting in many of these crimes.
But our team has been working diligently throughout to keep the district and its residents safe, as the burglary, robbery and shoplifting figures show.
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