POLICE say the fear of crime among people in County Durham is out of proportion to the number of offences committed.
According to the last British Crime Survey, the county ranks second in the country for the level of concern about the risk of falling victim to crime.
Yet the actual number of recorded crimes is the seventh lowest of all forces and has been steadily falling for some time.
Senior officers are trying to find out why there is such a difference between the public's perception and the reality of the situation.
Last year, house burglaries fell by more than 23 per cent to 3,083 and car crime dipped by three per cent, while Durham's overall detection rate of 34 per cent was England's second highest.
The force says it has a record number of officers on the streets and that a revamp of its structure will provide more over the next two years.
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