New figures reveal Portsmouth's sexual and violent crime rates are on the increase
New figures reveal Portsmouth has a higher rate of violent and sexual crime compared to Southampton, Havant, Isle of Wight, North Hampshire and Fareham.
The latest data collected from both Police.uk and the Government statistics website reveals that sexual and violent crime is the highest in Portsmouth compared to other force areas.
The graph shows that by the end of September 2020, the violence and sexual crime rate in Portsmouth was higher than average for the Hampshire area.
Residents of the Portsmouth area are still reeling from the impact of the brutal stabbing of a teenage boy a few weeks ago on Commercial road.
Mollie, 21, a student from Blackburn, says that the recent stabbing in broad daylight made her realise how unsafe she feels in Portsmouth at the moment with the rise in violent crime.
She said: ‘I think everyone is feeling anxious, especially as a woman, I have so much anxiety about going outside nowadays, it’s ridiculous, we shouldn’t have to feel like this.’
She added: ‘Portsmouth is noticeably much more dangerous compared to when I first moved here two years ago. I know dozens of girls who have experienced sexual harassment here.’
A 20-year-old Portsmouth woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous due to privacy reasons, said the rise in sexual crime does hit close to home, having experienced sexual harassment herself:
She said: ‘For weeks this guy would not leave me alone, he would wait outside of work for me and shout abuse, it was horrible.’
The woman did not report the incidents to the police at the time as she felt because no actual physical contact was made between her and the man, nothing would come out of reporting it, but says the incidents really shook her.
‘It got to the point where my boss would have to have him removed from the premises several times and drove me home when he would turn up just to make sure I was safe,’ she said.
Some Portsmouth locals believe that crime here is only going to get worse due to the alleged migration of gangs from the London area:
Tom, 20, a student from London said: ‘I’ve heard a lot about gangs from London coming down from London to recruit and sell drugs in Portsmouth, so the rise in crime doesn't surprise me at all. Pompey will end up the same as London at this rate’.
Hampshire Constabulary was contacted for a comment on the issue of rising violent and sexual crime but a reply was not received.
