Nick Herbert: drop in crime shows no link between police cuts and offending There are some areas of local concern, and the election of Police and Crime Commissioners in November will enable local people to hold their force to account and ensure that problem crimes in their area are tackled head-on. Police forces should be congratulated for continuing to drive down crime and maintaining their service to the public while saving money. We are freeing the police from red tape and central targets so that they can focus resources where they are needed most. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the figures showed the "ongoing determination and dedication of the service and its staff to reduce crime, deal with anti-social behaviour and protect the public." Deputy Chief Constable Douglas Paxton, Acpo's lead on statistics, said: "The service is determined to continue to build on the good work reflected in these publications and the results are a credit to those officers and staff who have faced the challenge of major efficiencies while continuing to tackle crime in our communities." The overall fall in crime was driven by the falls in volume crimes such as vehicle crime and burglaries, Mr Flatley said. "I don't think there's any dispute that security has played a major role in that, both in terms of domestic security - window locks, door locks, alarms, etc - and certainly in relation to vehicles, with immobilisers, deadlocks, etc," he said.