9,536 reported offences in Gwynedd during 2019

There were 9,536 reported offences during 2019, data from the Office for National Statistics shows.

That's up by 12% on the previous year, when 8,521 incidents were recorded.

That means there was a rate of 77 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2019, below the England and Wales average of 89.

The statistics are based on crimes reported to the police, and the ONS urges caution in interpreting some of these figures.

Separate figures are also collected from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which asks people about their experiences of crime, and which the ONS says can provide a better picture of some offences.

Joe Traynor, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "Information collected prior to the coronavirus pandemic from the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates a fall of 5% in crime for 2019.

"It is not possible to say whether this would have come to represent a change from the flat trend in recent years, as it is likely that the current lockdown will have an impact on the level of crime in 2020.

“The 2019 data revealed different patterns for specific types of crime, for instance, robbery increased but burglary decreased, while fraud and lower-harm violent offences remained stable.

"Although the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was used fell across the country, it increased in London.”

Despite rising slightly nationally, possession of weapons offences in Gwynedd have dropped by eight, to 53 incidents. These include knives, hand guns and even corrosive acid.

There were 325 residential burglaries reported in 2019, up by 16% compared to the previous year.

There has been one homicide, a murder or manslaughter.

Across England and Wales, the number of recorded homicides fell by 8%, to 670.

In Gwynedd, theft, one of the most high volume crimes, increased by 10%. Drugs related offences dropped slightly by 3%.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said there had been a substantial decrease in certain crimes such as residential burglaries and shoplifting since the coronavirus lockdown was enforced, but recognised there may be an increase in other forms of crime like domestic abuse.

NPCC lead for crime, Chief Constable Andy Cooke, said: "While it is highly unlikely that you will be a victim of violent crime, tackling violence continues to be a police priority and the use of tactics such as targeted stop and search has led to an increase in the recording of knife and blade possession offences by 11% during this period.

"We are clearly in a very different place since the coronavirus outbreak however, with provisional data from police forces showing a reduction in crime by around 28% compared to the same period in 2019.

"Our day-to-day service is not being impacted and people should keep reporting crime to us – our teams will work round the clock to keep the public safe and respond to emergencies."

Criminal damage in Gwynedd, which includes arson and vandalising cars and houses, has gone up, from 1,189 incidents in 2018, to 1,232 in the latest figures.

Violence with injury crimes, which include assault, GBH and wounding, have dropped. Nationally, there has been a slight increase, however they are tough to judge as police recording in this area has improved in recent years.

Similarly sexual offences are hard to judge as many more victims are now coming forward due to a series of high profile cases.

In Gwynedd, there were 478 incidents recorded last year, a 25% rise on the previous year, when 381 crimes were reported.

There were also 1,154 cases of stalking and harassment reported over the same period.

The Police Federation of England and Wales was less optimistic about the national picture, citing a 7% increase in knife crime as evidence that a long-term funding deal was needed for police.

John Apter, chair of the PFEW, said: "It is a tragedy that knife crime continues to spiral as my colleagues are stretched to their limits, and with fewer officers on patrol it comes as no surprise that street crime such as robbery has increased.

“The fact that some statistics have fallen despite this is a testament to the hard work and dedication of officers across the country.”