VIOLENCE in Mole Valley is at its lowest level in nearly a decade according to national figures.
The UK Peace Index, drawn up by the Institute for Economics and Peace, attributes local authorities a rating from one to five – with one being the lowest – for each of the last eight years.
It also gives each area specific ratings for homicide, violent crime, weapons crime, public disorder and numbers of police, based on the number of crimes or officers per 100,000 people.
The statistics were mostly positive for the region, with all types of violence down year on year in the district since 2009.
Mole Valley scored an overall rating of 1.520 in 2012, compared to 1.660 in 2011 and 1.760 the year before, making it one of the least violent regions in the UK.
Mole Valley Neighbourhood Inspector Andy Rundle told the Advertiser he welcomed the news but was not surprised by the downturn in violence.
"It is something we have been concentrating on and the reduction we are seeing in crime in Mole Valley is consistent with the plans we have in place," he said.
"We are never complacent when hearing these things, however. While we are pleased with the results we are always looking to improve our performance."
One area in which Mole Valley has improved is public disorder, which was just above the UK average in 2011, but has since dropped dramatically.
Inspector Rundle added: "I think a part of that comes down to an increased presence on the streets, where we have looked to evaluate our shift patterns.
"On a Friday and Saturday night officers used to finish at midnight but that has been reviewed and now we are looking at a minimum of 2am.
"We have been tackling local premises who are breaching conditions of their licensing and by doing that we have been able to control public disorder that is attributed to alcohol use."
He continued: "People should come here for a good time but disorder will not be tolerated."
The standout anomaly in the improving levels of peace is a high homicide rating in 2008, likely attributed to the murders of Sharon Birchwood and Matthew Demko in Ashtead.
It spiked again in 2011 with the murder of Laura Davies Jones, who was stabbed to death by her husband Richard at their home in Woodfield Avenue, Ashtead.
The attack on Abigail Witchalls, a Bookham resident stabbed in the neck and left paralysed in a lane off Burnhams Road, led to a high violence rating in 2005.
To view the figures, visit www.visionofhumanity.org/ukpeaceindex
