Statistics regarding the number of violent and sexual assaults in Bath, England, over a 31-day period were recently released and made open to the public.
According to the statistics released by the Home Office, there has been an incredible incline in the amount of assaults in the area. A shocking 154 violent and sexual offences were recorded to have taken place in July alone.
The figures were released to correspond with an online map constructed by the Home Office. The map allows users to see how much reported offences has been taking place around their area. The map, which is located on www.police.co.uk, shows which streets the crimes are alleged to have happened.
The statistics are shown below:
Number of violent and sexual assaults in areas of Bath:
Weston 11
Newbridge 8
Twerton 28
Southdown 2
Odd Down 11
Foxhill 3
Wellsway 1
Combe Down 2
Batheaston 2
Bathford 1
Lower Swainswick 2
Lambridge 1
Fairfield Park 3
London Road area 5
Widcombe 1
Bathwick 2
Beechen Cliff 3
Oldfield Park 10
Upper Bristol Road 4
Walcot 2
Kingsmead 5
City Centre 47
Possibly one of most debatable pieces of information on this list is the high number of assaults in the city centre. As you may know, the UK has the most cameras p/person than anywhere else globally, in other words, the UK is the most recorded country in the world. The UK has set aside millions towards CCTV cameras for “our safety” and “crime prevention”, but if the most recorded part of Bath has the highest cases of assaults then we can begin to question whether or not CCTV cameras are still actually preventing crime.
I live in Bath City Centre. I should think most assaults are from drunk people comning out of pubs and clubs. There are a high number of clubs in a small area. I really don’t think they would be considering whether there were cameras on them when assaulting people – they are probably too drunk. I think the increase is because the city centre had been allowed to become a party area with more and more licensed premises opening and increasing hen and stag parties being encouraged to come here. A lot of people are finding that flats next to them are being turned into hen and stag party accommodation with subsequent noise problems. We also have an increasing number of students – a quarter of the population of Bath are students as we have two universities. I live next door to a nightclub and there is often trouble there, some drug related and always alcohol fuelled. We also have a lot of homeless people and many of them are alcoholics and drug addicts. I am pretty sure they don’t condider the presence of cameras when getting into fights. Despite being a city, we no longer have a police station and police can take a long time to get to incidents.