Dyfed-Powys Police has vowed not to become complacent to new and emerging crime types, despite being ranked the safest place to live in England and Wales when it comes to victim-based offences.

The force has the lowest number of victim-based crimes, which includes sexual offences, robbery, murder and burglary, according to Home Office data released at the end of last month.

Statistics released show that for the year ending September 2018 there were 43.1 victim-based crimes per 1,000 people living in the force area. West Yorkshire was ranked at the other end of the scale with 104.9 victims of crime per 1,000 people.

Despite this, the force has vowed not to take its status as the safest area to live for granted, acknowledging that supporting victims of crime is its priority over rankings, and accepting that its officers and staff will face emerging challenges over the coming years.

Deputy Chief Constable Richard Lewis said: “I am pleased to see that the latest figures show that Dyfed-Powys is the safest places to live in the UK when victim-based crimes are taken into consideration.

“However, this is no consolation to a victim whose life might have been severely impacted by a crime.

“For them, what is most important is being able to access the right level of support as they go through the criminal justice system and endeavour to get their life back on track.

“This is why we will continue to put victims at the heart of everything we do, investigating incidents thoroughly but sensitively, and using specially trained officers to ensure we always give the best possible service.”

DCC Lewis added that the force cannot stand still as the landscape of crime changes, and that senior officers must ensure colleagues are continually learning and adapting the ways in which they disrupt criminality.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition tomorrow