The city centre of Nottingham has the 15th highest rate of reports of crime nationally, latest figures show. This is where the city centre area placed out of nearly 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, according to government data, which was published on police.uk site.
In total, the city centre has recorded a total of 6,366 reports of crime. When compared to the population, that adds up to 691 offences for every 1,000 residents.
Of the top ten most dangerous neighbourhoods in the country, six of them are in London - with the fashionable Fitzrovia West & Soho neighbourhood topping the list at 3,500 offences reported for every 1,000 residents. Outside the nation’s capital, Leeds City Centre suffered more crime than anywhere else. It was followed by Birmingham Central, Central Blackpool, and Leicester City Centre.
Figures show there were 1,761 reports of a violent or sexual nature for the Nottingham city centre area between March 2022 and March 2023. And this added up to the 18th-highest rate in England and Wales. The figures, which group the city centre and Trent Bridge areas together, also revealed the area has the country’s seventh-highest rate of reports of drug crime and the eighth-highest rate of weapons possession offences.
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The data cited however has recorded the total number of reports of a crime. For context, more than one person may report the same crime to the local force. Police said it's important to consider that "Nottingham has a busy metropolitan city centre, and you would expect people to report seeing the same crime". Officers also said "much work has been done to keep our city safe".
The city centre also had Nottinghamshire’s highest rates of anti-social behaviour, burglary, criminal damage and arson, robbery, and theft reports. It also ranks as the area with the highest number of crimes reported across the whole county.
Mansfield Town Centre and Broomhill has the second highest reports of crime rate in Nottinghamshire, according to figures - with 405 reports of crime per 1000 residents. It also has the highest rates of shoplifting.
Nottingham’s St Ann's West neighbourhood has the county's third-highest rate of crime reports - with 314 reports of crime per 1,000 residents. Meanwhile, the safest place to live in Nottinghamshire was Keyworth North, Tollerton & Willoughby in Rushcliffe, where there were just 173 reports of crime all last year - the equivalent of 29 for every 1,000 people living in that neighbourhood.
Zoe Cooke, who leads the Anti Knife Crime campaign in Nottingham, reacted to the figures for Nottingham city centre and added: "I think it is very worrying. It would not stop me from going into the city centre because I do not think that you have to stop your life. But I am very apprehensive."
She added: "Obviously when my children go out - my heart is in my mouth. I worry more about other people and also for the younger people."
Shoppers who were sat in the Old Market Square reacted to the figures, with Carol Ellis, 59, saying she does not feel safe in the city centre. She added: "I do not feel safe - especially in the evening."
She referred to the statistics for reports of violent or sexual nature, and added: "I do not feel safe - especially as a woman.
"But yes, crime is not gender specific. There is always something happening in the city centre."
Her partner, Peter Littlewood, said the city centre is a place he used to frequent "quite a lot". The 60-year-old added: "I feel safe here."
Julian Fennell, 51, who lives in Stapleford and was visiting the Nottingham city centre, added: "Historically, Nottingham was known for stabbings. The city centre feels more dangerous."
He described the statistics for reports of violent or sexual nature as "surprising". It comes as in Nottinghamshire, new funding will be used to tackle domestic violence.
In Nottinghamshire, a total of 16,236 domestic abuse incidents were reported in the year ending March 2023, averaging 44 per day. There were 34 percent repeat victims and a total of 65 percent of the offences were committed by current or former intimate partners and 88 percent of offenders were male.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire will receive more than £650,000 from the Home Office for a new early awareness raising project for first time and low-level offenders. It will also pay for a range of voluntary perpetrator initiatives for men and women who are concerned about the controlling or violent behaviour within their relationships and want help to change.
Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: "Domestic abuses causes victims to feel terror I their own homes and communities, where they should feel their safest. Preventing and responding to domestic abuse and supporting survivors are among my core priorities as part of the Make Notts Safe Plan."
Another visitor to the city centre, Wendy Fennell, 51, has raised concerns about the number of crime reports in the city centre, adding: "It does concern me sometimes when my children go out. It does make you think. I do not come out in the evenings.
"When I come in there is a lot of police around. At night time - it is the worst. I would not come in town for that reason. I always see crime and police news popping up on my phone - it happens quite a lot."
Chief Inspector Karl Thomas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I think it is important to put these figures into context. They show reports of crime not actual crimes. It is often the case that a single incident can be reported by more than one person.
“Nottingham has a busy metropolitan city centre, and you would expect people to report seeing the same crime. Much work has been done to keep our city safe and we will continue to work with our partners like the Business Improvement District, the Universities, Pubwatch and local authorities amongst others.
“A great example of our police work in the city centre is Operation Compass – a uniformed and plain-clothed team who have already made more than 130 arrests this year and successfully obtained Criminal Behaviour Orders for our most prolific offenders.
“We also have many officers operating in our night-time economy keeping the public safe. Working with our partners we have supported a Safe Space pledge, making venues in Nottingham safer for young people particularly for women and girls.
“Crime has also fallen across Nottinghamshire. Offences of violence with injury, knife crime and antisocial behaviour all showed reductions this year compared to the same period last year and also down on the pre-Covid baseline year of 2019/20.
“This is testament to the hard work of officers who are out every day ensuring our communities are kept safe. We will never be complacent and will continue to work with partners at tackling the crimes that matter to our communities and building their trust and confidence in us.”
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