THE Oxford Mail today lets you find out how many crimes police are solving in your neighbourhood.

A Freedom of Information request has produced figures to show exactly how many offences are being reported across Oxfordshire – and what percentage are solved.

In Summertown, Oxford, only one-in-nine crimes reported to Thames Valley Police between April 2010 and March 2011 were solved.

But, in Banbury town centre, the force’s detection rate was more than a third – the best rate in the county.

Across the whole of Oxford, 4,537 crimes out of the 18,095 reported were solved – a 25 per cent success rate.

There were 108 serious violent crimes reported, which included GBH and assault, and police solved more than 65 per cent of them.

Meanwhile, 43 out of the 166 serious sexual offences reported to police were solved, or 26 per cent.

David Cox, of Asquith Road, Rose Hill, died after being attacked Ashhurst Way, just yards from his home, last June.

His sister, Valerie Marsden, of Shelley Road, in Cowley, said: “I am not surprised police are solving the majority of serious crimes.

“As a family we were impressed with the job they did and all the help we received during that time.

“All the officers worked very hard and were determined to catch whoever was responsible.”

However, only 86 of the 642 reported burglaries in the city were ever solved — about 13 per cent.

In the neighbouring Vale of White Horse, police detected 43 of the 162 burglaries, or more than 26 per cent.

And of the 239 personal robberies in the city, 56 (23 per cent) were solved.

Oxford city centre recorded the most robberies – 37 – and Jericho/Osney and Abingdon Road the fewest, with just one in each area.

Last October 14-year-old Aaliyah Nicholls, from Blackbird Leys, had her mobile phone stolen by a man wielding a large lock knife.

Eight months later, nobody has been convicted of the crime.

Her mother, Denise Dean, said: “We knew nobody would be caught.

“The police tried hard but the lad just got away with it. He will do it again because he will think he is invincible.

“The robbery left Aaliyah so shaken up and I have noticed a definite change in her. These crimes have a huge impact.”

There were 257 vehicles stolen in the city, with 75 cases solved, or 29 per cent. Only three were taken from Jericho and Osney, whereas Blackbird Leys, Headington South, Lye Valley and St Clements each recorded 16 thefts. Last month Robert Taylor, 48, had his white and green 1976 BSA Ariel 3 moped stolen from a shed in Minchery Road, Littlemore.

He said: “I will never see it again, which is a real shame.

“Crime detection rates in Oxford are shocking. I have been the victim of crime a few times and police just have not seemed interested.

“In fact, they very often seemed more concerned with looking after the criminal than they are the victim.

“These criminals are getting away with everything and until the police start taking a much harder line, the situation will keep getting worse.”

But police spokesman Adam Fisher said: “It is very difficult to make meaningful comparisons between crimes and detections rates across diverse communities.

“For example, Banbury is a market town while Summertown is a neighbourhood in a large city, and as such they have differing social and economic factors which play a part in the types of crime they experience.

“The ability to detect a crime can vary between different crime types.

“For example, in Banbury town centre you will tend to have more shoplifting and public order offences which tend to be easier to detect than largely unwitnessed crimes in predominantly residential areas such as Summertown.

“With violent assaults and sexual offences, the victim will often know the offender, or at least be able to provide a description. We generally have few stranger attacks.

“Burglary and vehicle crime on the other hand, are most likely take place when the residents are out of the property, or away from their vehicle, and tend to be unwitnessed.”