The Isle of Wight remains one of the safest places in the UK, despite an increase in recording crime, a recent report has found.

The Island’s 2021/22 strategic assessment found that incidents of crime rose from 64.5 per cent per 1,000 population in 2020/21 to 77.9 per cent in the year up to the end of March 2022.

Published by the IW Community Safety Partnership (CSP), the report also reveals a fall in young people entering the justice system, with a 16.77 per cent fall in youth reoffending since 2019.

Probation service data shows that violent crime made up the highest percentage of reoffending crimes on the Island, with the second highest category being sexual offences against children, followed by public order offences.

Isle of Wight County Press:

A staggering 48.9 per cent of all crimes recorded were violence against another person, seeing more than a 25 per cent rise on the previous year.

However, a rise was expected following the easing of restrictions during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, public order offences make up 15 per cent, theft at 14.2 per cent, criminal damage and arson at 9.9 per cent, sexual offences at 4.9 per cent drug offences at 3.7 per cent.

There were 185 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour during the first three quarters of 2022 compared to the same time the previous year.

The data identified that Island children aged 13 to 17 years are twice as likely to suffer abuse or neglect (30.4 per 1,000) compared to the national average (14.3 per 1,000).

Across Hampshire, only Southampton and Portsmouth have the worst rates for possession of weapons.

Unsurprisingly, the two main areas with the highest reported crime were Newport Central and Ryde North West, which have the highest resident populations, with the most shops, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs on the Island.

According to the Crime Records dashboard, the safest residential areas on the Island include Binstead, Fishbourne and Gurnard.

There were 549 reported sexual offences on the Island during 2021/22, an increase compared to recent years and 121 more than the previous year. 

The report found that anti-social behaviour on the Island is most likely to occur on Saturdays at 4pm, followed by Fridays at 9pm and Tuesdays at 6pm.

Three Island areas were found to be within the 10 per cent most deprived areas in England, those being Pan A, Pan B and Ryde North East B.

The data also includes nine Island areas in the top 20 per cent most deprived, including parts of Newport, East Cowes, Shanklin and Ventnor.

Supt. Rob Michell, district commander for the Island, said: “It’s important to stress that the Isle of Wight remains a safe place for residents and visitors alike.

"I was clear, when I took up the role of district commander, that my priorities would be to tackle domestic abuse, violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour.

"This data underlines why those areas are important for policing and our communities.

"We are working hard to make sure that we do not alienate or unnecessarily criminalise the Island’s young people when addressing anti-social behaviour issues.

"Where appropriate, we look to work with our partners to divert youngsters away from this type of behaviour so they can make a positive contribution to society."

To view the full IW Community Safety Partnership Annual Report, visit the IW Council website HERE.