Crime is distributed unevenly across the Borough. This is partly because crime correlates closely to deprivation, and there are varying levels of deprivation and affluence in Stockton. There are 26 wards in Stockton and 8 of these are within the top 10% most deprived wards in England. A further 5 wards are within the most deprived 20%. In contrast there are 3 wards in the most affluent 30%, and 2 in the most 20% affluent in England.
Some crime is also affected by the 'town centre effect', which is that crime and disorder levels are always higher in an area around a town centre. In Stockton, we see this effect in Stockton Town Centre ward, Stainsby Hill ward which covers Thornaby town centre, and Billingham Central Ward. This effect is also present within Yarm and Norton North wards where there are above average levels of pubs, restaurants and shops. Teesside Retail Park is within Mandale & Victoria ward, and so also sees some effect of higher crime rates.
The Council has been monitoring how safe people feel during the day and at night time since 1998. In 2006 residents are significantly more likely to feel 'very safe' than they were in 2000 and 2002, with 94% feeling safe outside in the daytime and 54% after dark (IPSOS MORI, 2006). Local residents continue to place crime and anti-social behaviour as the top improvement priority for the borough, despite a trend of significant reductions in the reporting of most crime categories over recent years. This prioritisation clearly shows that there is still a long way to go to meet the aspirations of local communities in this area.
Through close partnership working with the police and other agencies, crimes such as dwelling burglary, robbery, vehicle crime and causing deliberate fires, continue to be on a downward trend. 2005/06 and 2006/07 have seen the lowest number of dwelling burglaries over the last fifteen years, with Stockton moving from being 20% above the average for its family of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to being 10% below average for dwelling burglaries.
