Road deaths up but other crime continues to fall

TWENTY-ONE people died on the district’s roads between April and December last year.

The figure is up two on the previous year and Area Commander Chief Inspector Ken Mawhinney said any life lost on the roads is a tragedy they want to prevent.

CI Mawhinney said, “We will continue to focus on speeding, dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.”

District Policing Partnership member Junior McCrum said he often received concerns from people living in Banbridge about the speed of drivers making their way into the town.

CI Mawhinney assured Mr McCrum that mobile speed detector vans and other devices are used to identify problem roads.

The police inspector expressed his satisfaction with the falling crime rates in most areas, and said current figures are a massive improvement on previous ones.

“Crime rates have fallen in the past four years,” said CI Mawhinney. “On the whole regarding out targets we are quite pleased.”

Incidents of anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime and non-domestic violence are all down for the period between April and December last year.