POLICE have welcomed a 10 per cent drop in reported crime in an east Durham community over the last year - with detection rates up by 3 per cent, to nearly 30 per cent of all crime. Seaham community inspector Vince Addison said: "We have been involved in a number of initiatives and operations that have definitely made a difference to the quality of life of residents in the area. "We are committed to making our community safer and to helping residents feel safer. "The latest figures go a significant way to doing that." Insp Addison said there had been three major seizures of cannabis during 2008, while in November up more than a dozen people were arrested as part of operation Nimrod - having a significant impact on the supply of (end of Nov) of heroin in the town. And last weekend police arrested a 15-year-old boy, three men and two woman and seized £20,000 worth of suspected cocaine in a further series of raids. The suspects have been released pending further inquiries. Insp Addison added, the Easington Community Safety Partnership - a police initiative with Easington District Council and the Primary Care Trust - had initiated a two action plans for The Deneside and Easington Colliery respectively, last year. He said: "We have seen a huge reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour in The Deneside and throughout the town of Seaham." He added, the reduction has been less marked in Easington Colliery where there were complex social issues, of which crime was a symptom. "We are continuing to work with partners to tackle the issues there," he said. The Seaham policing area also includes the villages of Murton, Easington Village, South Hetton and Haswell. Number of reported crimes in the Seaham area from April to the end of December last year were 2,244, compared to 2,523 during the same period the previous year (down 10 per cent). During the same periods: burglaries of dwellings were 182 compared to 192 (down 5 per cent); other burglaries 147 compared 226 (down 35 per cent); assaults 379 compared to 426 (down 11 per cent); criminal damage 619 compared to 717 (down 13 per cent drop); theft from vehicles 118 compared to 174 (32 per cent down); theft of motorvehicle 97 compared to 119 (18 per cent down).