Isle of Man still 'supremely safe', but Police want to tackle youth crime and drug trade

The Isle of Man's Chief Constable, Gary Roberts, has said the Island is "supremely safe" as recorded crime fell by 6%.

The figures make the Isle of Man the safest place to live in the British Isles, with the overall detection rate rising to 46%, while burglaries fell by 40%, the lowest it has been for several decades.

The report also highlighted how there have been fewer serious assaults on Island.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts QPM said: "The Isle of Man remains a supremely safe place in which to live, to do business or to visit.

Though he praised the "positive work", the Chief Constable added "a lot of hard work is needed to address two major issues, the first being offending by young people."

Despite the overall fall in offences, younger people committing crimes continues to be an area of concern for the Constabulary.

Young people were responsible for 32% of the 700 offences highlighted by the report.

The number of sexual offences recorded on the Isle of Man over the past year has also risen by almost a fifth, despite a drop in overall crime during the past year.

The Chief Constable added: "The second major issue, often linked with the first, is the trade in controlled drugs, which ultimately emanates from the United Kingdom."

Operation Redcap clamped down on illegal drug trade, and the overall amount of drugs seized on Island fell this year.

In November 2021, 17 people were arrested and "significant quantities" of drugs were seized following a major investigation into organised crime on the Island.

The Police’s report last year highlighted the link between drugs and exploitation of young people is a serious concern for the Constabulary.

The full report can be found here.

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