'Cheshire Cybercrime Booming'

There are two cybercrimes in Cheshire for every non-cybercrime according to estimates released by Neil Lewis, Liberal Democrat candidate for the May 5th Commissioner election.

Neil Lewis said: "The establishment have completely missed the tsunami in cybercrime hurting the people of Cheshire. Using Office of National Statistics figures we can estimate that in 2015 there were 132,404 cases of cybercrime committed against the residents of Cheshire."

"Yet worse is to come. The national lead for Child Protection forecast a 200% increase in Child Sexual Exploitation crimes in the next four years. Online fraud and scams are growing at 25% per year and 66% of small businesses have been affected by cybercrime in the past two years yet many don't feel confident to approach the police (according the Federation of Small Business).

"It is time to explode the myth that crime in Cheshire is falling – it is not. Simply, abusers have moved behind closed doors, scammers and fraudsters have gone online and crime has globalised," Lewis said.

"Our police service completely missed the impact of the smart phone on crime and we are in danger of failing to see the future crime risk of drones and driverless cars which will be common place in the next four years," he continued.

"For too long, the establishment have complacently celebrated a fall in crime, meanwhile, the criminals have simply moved to easier online targets where they have been well rewarded."

AudlemOnline will publish any interesting news items from the candidates for the Police Commissioner post. The election is on Thursday 5th May.

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