Reports Of Child Sex Crimes More Than Double Since 2010

Reports of sexual offences involving children have more than doubled since 2010, according to the PSNI Chief Constable.

The exact rise in crimes of this nature remains unclear due to under-reporting and other factors.

"It is a sad indictment of society," Chief Constable George Hamilton said.

"But I think it is us getting a more accurate picture of where we are."

Mr Hamilton welcomed an increase in reporting to police, but said that solving this type of crime was becoming increasingly complex.

In a meeting with the Policing Board on Monday, he reiterated that budgets had shrunk in recent years, and that some official plans for the future remain in draft form because of the lack of a Stormont executive.

The Chief Constable also said that policing the legacy of the past is costing millions and despite its importance, it is not addressing the serious crimes of today.

Reports of cyber-related offences have increased by 112% in the last three years.

"All of those increasing complexities tend not to be policed by officers on the high street, in our housing estates, in high visibility jackets at 10pm tackling anti-social behaviour," Mr Hamilton said.

"The shift is going from the visible police presence to invisible police activity, but it is critical to tackle the complexity of this changing demand."

Despite the change in the nature of crime, public expectations around visible policing are increasing.

"We need to balance this against demand which has shifted into this more complex, more labour-intensive, less visible space- this is part of the problem that we have," he added.



(JG)