The latest crime figures for Shepton Mallet show a welcome drop in reported incidents, with 85 crimes recorded in August 2024—down significantly from 135 in July. The reduction represents a 37% decrease month-on-month and comes as local police continue to step up their efforts to tackle crime and engage more actively with the community.

The data, which covers a range of crime categories, reveals notable drops in several areas, including violent crime, anti-social behaviour, and vehicle-related offences. Violent crime—a category that includes assault, harassment, and domestic violence—fell from 52 incidents in July to 40 in August. While still the highest category, police say the decline is a step in the right direction.

A police spokesperson said, "We're encouraged by the reduction in overall crime numbers, but we remain focused on tackling violent crime, which continues to be a priority. These incidents often have a serious impact on victims and the wider community, and we will keep working hard to address this."

Anti-social behaviour also saw a slight decline, with 13 reports in August compared to 14 the previous month. This category includes incidents such as rowdy behaviour, street drinking, and other activities that can cause distress or annoyance to the public. Police often target hot spots and work closely with community groups to reduce these types of disturbances.

Burglaries—a crime that typically involves unlawfully entering a building to steal—dropped from five cases in July to four in August. Although a slight improvement, police are urging residents to remain vigilant and continue securing their properties.

Another category showing a marked improvement is vehicle crime, which decreased from eight cases in July to just three last month. This category covers incidents such as theft of and from vehicles, as well as criminal damage to cars. The drop is likely due to increased patrols and community awareness campaigns.

Public order offences, which cover crimes involving threatening behaviour or disturbances that cause a risk to public safety, remained relatively steady, with eight reports in August compared to nine in July. Shoplifting incidents also halved, falling from four to just two, while 'other theft'—a broad category that includes various types of theft not specifically categorised elsewhere—saw a major drop from 25 cases in July to just six in August.

One of the more ambiguous categories, 'other crime', rose from one incident in July to four in August. This category can include a range of less common offences, such as drug-related crimes or possession of weapons.

Although the overall trend is positive, police are keen to highlight the need for continued vigilance. "While the figures are moving in the right direction, we need the community to stay engaged. Reporting suspicious activity and working with us through local initiatives are key to keeping crime levels down," added the spokesperson.

Local authorities have been actively encouraging residents to get involved in community safety initiatives, such as Neighbourhood Watch schemes, and to make use of the local Crime Prevention Team's advice. With this collaborative approach, they hope to build on the success seen in August and further reduce crime in the coming months.

The next set of statistics, which will cover September 2024, is expected to be published in early November