CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: Cowley boasts top crime detection rate (From The Oxford Times)

AS the Oxford Mail continues to investigate how crime affects your neighbourhood, today damian fantato takes a look at Cowley

7:00am Thursday 23rd August 2012 in News By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429

Buy this photo » Steve James of Emmaus, believes the charity’s rehabilitation work with the homeless contributes to a fall in crime Picture: OX53819 Antony Moore

MORE crimes are being solved in Cowley than in any other part of Oxford.

Almost one in three crimes are detected by police, higher than any other part of the city, according to figures released to the Oxford Mail.

And Cowley residents last night said they felt their area was safer and there was less crime than past years.

Temple Cowley resident Dave Mahon, 59, said: “I don’t think Cowley is any worse than other areas in Oxford.

“There are a lot of police officers around here and it is good that so many crimes are being solved.”

Steve James, community leader at Cowley-based Emmaus Oxford which helps the homeless off the streets, said: “In the time I have been here someone has taken some kitchen utensils but we have not suffered from any other crimes.

“People here come from all different backgrounds, not just one of crime, but we would like to think we help reduce crime in the area because we are trying to introduce people to different choices.

“I would say we have been successful with most of the people we help in terms of re-offending.”

Michael Buckingham, 61, who lives in Oliver Road, said: “It is great that the police is detecting so many crimes.

“Funnily enough I got burgled a couple of weeks ago and the police are still following it up. They seem very active around here, though I don’t hear of much crime.”

In 2011-12 there were 996 recorded crimes in the Cowley area.

That is down on two years ago – more than 1,000 were recorded in 2009-10 – but slightly up on 2010-11 when 968 were recorded. The statistics show the number of burglaries has gone up in the last year.

But Supt Chris Sharp, Oxford’s local policing area commander, said: “The figures relate up to April 2012, when the area had significant offending.”

But he said that since April, burglary across the whole city had fallen by a quarter and the burglary detection rate – at 42 per cent – was the best in Thames Valley.

• Constantly updated crime statistics at street-by-street level are available at oxfordmail.co.uk/li