POLICE responded to more than 6,000 reports of crime in Salisbury and the surrounding villages last year, according to official figures.
In the previous year, between February 2019 and January 2020, 7,136 offences were logged.
According to police.uk data, between August 2020 and January 2021 inclusive, 821 of these offences were reported in the city centre.
This is the equivalent of around four offences a day.
Defining the city centre as the space between Salisbury Railway Station, Salisbury Cathedral and up to but not including the surrounding ring road / A36, police.uk data suggests that in this six month period, the most crime reported took place in Brown Street and Rollestone Street, including Brown Street car park, with 61 offences recorded.
Salisbury areas with the highest number of reported crimes
Here are the 10 areas in Salisbury city centre with the most reported offences between August 2020 and January 2021:
1) Brown Street and Rollestone Street, including Brown Street car park - 61
2) Barnard Street and Payne’s Hill - 55
3) Silver Street 54
4) Bridge Street and Fisherton Street - 46
5) Priory Square - 45
6) Minster Street - 39
7) Castle Street and New Canal - 37
8) Near / in Cross Keys Shopping Centre - 31
9) Near Iceland supermarket - 27
10) High Street - 25
Crime statistics context
It is important to note that crime statistics alone do not tell the full story of a community, and different factors will contribute to crime levels.
Police forces have pointed out in the past that police.uk data - although official - can lack context.
For example, the way crime is recorded can make certain areas look more affected, because of a nearby nightlife or shoplifting hotspot.
Nevertheless publicly available information on the police.uk website is a useful way for people to get a feeling for areas affected by crime.
Months with the most crime in the last year
While the majority of offences in Salisbury have been reported as in the city centre, data suggests that over the last 12 months in the entire Salisbury boundary, which includes villages like Wilton, Downton, Laverstock and Dinton, there have been drops and rises in crime reports reflecting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
The spikes and drops in crime are evident in the figures for the wider Salisbury area.
According to police.uk, between February 2020 and January 2021 inclusive, July was the month most crimes were reported, with November 2020 the least.
In November the country was locked down, while in July we were enjoying a relatively free summer, leading to more potential for offences.
Here's how the last year of crime in our area unfolded:
February 2020 - 520
March 2020 - 524
April 2020 - 484
May 2020 - 505
June 2020 - 524
July 2020 - 613
August 2020 - 597
September 2020 - 516
October 2020 - 498
November 2020 - 388
December 2020 - 490
January 2021 - 429
What Wiltshire Police said
Wiltshire Police did not comment specifically on crime statistics when approached for this article.
However, in the wake of the shocking Sarah Everard murder investigation, chief constable Kier Pritchard did insist Wiltshire is a safe place to live.
He said: "Crimes such as this are incredibly rare. We do live in an overwhelmingly safe county.
"My police officers and staff are committed to protecting the public and work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."
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