Crime rises in Northern Ireland as riots drain police resources

Northern Ireland's recent riots have diverted police resources and contributed to an increase in other types of crime, police said yesterday.

Colin Cramphorn, acting Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), announced that "ordinary" crime had shown a 16 per cent rise over the year. Launching the first annual police report since the PSNI replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary, he also revealed that crime clear-up rates had dropped by 7 per cent to 20 per cent.

While part of the rise in the crime is due to a new recording system, there has been an underlying overall increase in crimes committed.

The past year has seen serious and continuing rioting in north Belfast, while more recently disturbances have spread to the east of the city. Such riots tie up large numbers of police and troops, and police are often injured in clashes.

As well as those hurt on the streets, many officers are also on sick leave, with about 1,000 officers absent each day. This is taking place against a drop in numbers as officers are encouraged to take early retirement to reduce the size of the force and encourage new recruits, particularly Catholics and women.

There has been much anxiety in police circles about resources, and these figures appear to demonstrate the results of police understaffing. Although the authorities have not drafted in large numbers of troops to make up the numbers, those soldiers already in Northern Ireland are now more visible on the streets.

Mr Cramphorn said: "The violence put a severe strain on finite police resources ... Inevitably, performance in these areas has suffered."