Fifth Lowest Number Of Sex Offenders In Thames Valley (Press Release)

THE Thames Valley Police area has the fifth lowest number of Registered Sex Offenders in England and Wales, according to figures released today.
Local figures released today (22/10) show that the Thames Valley has the fifth lowest number of registered sex offenders per 100,000 people in England and Wales.

Publication of the sixth Thames Valley MAPPA report ? Multi-Agency Public Protection Agreements ? show that there were 982 registered sex offenders in the Thames Valley, which equates to 46 per 100,000 people in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, up to 31 March this year. The national average is 57.45.

The figures are broken down into the five Basic Command Units (BCUs) and are as follows:

Oxfordshire 323 (out of a population of 631,900)

Berkshire West 227 (out of a population of 445,400)

Berkshire East 152 (out of a population of 370,500)

Milton Keynes 130 (out of a population of 224,800)

Buckinghamshire 150 (out of a population of 487,300)

The number of other offenders, including those convicted of violent offences, covered by Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel (MAPPPs) in the Thames Valley totalled 980 between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007. This brings the total number of offenders who came under MAPPA during those dates to 1,962.

MAPPA places a duty on Thames Valley Police, Thames Valley Probation and the Prison Service to assess and manage risk posed by offenders in the community.

This work is done in partnership with other agencies, including Primary Care Trusts, the Youth Offending Service, mental health, local authority housing and social services.

Paul Gillbard, Director of Offender Management for Thames Valley Probation, said: ?We have worked hard to revise our local MAPPA procedures in line with the expectations from central government. In the Thames Valley, we feel confident that we have a workable system which should provide the local community with confidence that sex offenders and potentially dangerous persons are being managed properly and safely.

?The fact is, however, that such persons always have been and will continue to be released into the community. Recent changes in the law and working practices of all the agencies involved in MAPPA now mean that such people are monitored far more closely than in the past.?

Det Ch Insp Tim Price, Public Protection Officer, said: ?The annual report demonstrates the success of MAPPA locally. Robust and comprehensive multi agency public protection plans have provided safety and reassurance to past and potential victims as well as the general public.

?By successfully identifying offenders, sharing information with other key agencies and working closely together on public protection plans, dangerous offenders are well monitored and risks to the public are minimised.

?The very fact that we can illustrate these figures in this report tells you that we know where these offenders are and we are working to protect you from them.?