Harrogate tops North Yorkshire for burglary increase

Figures presented at the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime public accountability meeting on November 27 show that Harrogate has experienced a 34.8 per cent rise in burglary – more than any other community in the county.

Between April and October this year, 523 burglary incidents have been recorded, compared to 388 in that time last year.

The next closest increases are Scarborough (30.5 per cent rise with incidents increasing from 259 to 338) and Ryedale (up 21 per cent, 81 to 98).

York leads the county with the total number of burglaries – but the 551 recorded this year is a 10.8 per cent drop from 2017.

The biggest declines were recorded in Richmondshire (down 40.8 per cent) and Selby (33.3 per cent).

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said earlier this month that a change in how burglaries were recorded attributed to some of the rise.

However, she said the increase couldn’t wholly be attributed to that change.

“Some of it is a genuine rise in burglaries… it particularly concerns me because it is the thing that is the single most concern to members of the public,” she said.

The update also shows that Low Harrogate was the most crime-impacted ward out of Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire in October, with 121 crimes reported.

Northallerton was the next highest with 48.

The report also reveals a spike in calls to police services on Halloween.

This included 50 more emergency 999 calls than they usually would receive on a Wednesday between 4pm and midnight, as well as an additional 70 extra non-emergency calls.

Lachlan Leeming , Local Democracy Reporting Service