CRIME in Whitehill has reduced by seven per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to new statistics from East Hampshire police. The East Hampshire police command area of Whitehill, Alton, and Petersfield achieved a 32 per cent reduction in overall crime against official Home Office targets. Chief Inspector Phil Kedge said: "I am delighted to report that the good work is continuing this year and is reflected by official figures for the first quarter crime figures compared to last year." The figures show that overall crime in Petersfield has reduced by 29 per cent and crime in Alton has reduced by 21 percent. District councillor Adam Carew said: "It's encouraging to see that crime figures have gone down but it's a little sad to see that Petersfield and Alton have considerably higher rates of crime reduction. "This reiterates the point that we need a greater police presence and more PCSOs. Bordon and Whitehill have three PCSOs, while Alton has seven and Petersfield has five." "We have to consider too, that these figures are a reflection of the lack of facilities in Bordon and Whitehill. If we had more facilities, the quality of life would improve and could result in a lesser crime rate." This quarter, police have achieved a further eight per cent reduction in overall crime, with 1344 crimes in 2007/08 compared to 1460 for 2006/07. Significant gains of 25 percent have been made in reducing violent crime and there has been a 14 per cent reduction of vehicle crime. The number of house burglaries has shown a small rise but the numbers remain relatively low: 63 for 2007/08 compared to 46 in 2006/07. Chief Inspector Kedge added: "In terms of targeting those who engage in criminality and bringing offenders to justice, the East Hampshire command area remains one of the highest performing districts across the Hampshire Constabulary. "The work by police and partners within East Hampshire is continuing to succeed in driving down crime. We are aggressively targeting those who choose to continually undermine our local communities by engaging in crime. "As a result, many of our persistent offenders are currently in prison; either on remand or following sentencing. "The East Hampshire district has always been a safe area to live, visit and work. With the continued commitment and dedication by police, partners and local communities, the environment and quality of life for residents will continue to improve."