POLICE and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfeld has said setting his priorities has helped to bring certain crime rates down.

Last week the Oxford Mail reported crime was at its lowest level in Oxfordshire for 15 years after it fell three per cent.

Mr Stansfeld previoulsy set Thames Valley Police’s priorities as household burglary, rural crime, and the care of vulnerable victims.

And a year on and domestic burglaries have fallen 20 per cent from 7,069 to 5,668 in the Thames Valley meaning they are at a 40-year low in the region.

Mr Stansfeld, who was elected as the force’s first PCC in November 2012, said: “The very fact that we have managed to bring it down so smartly over a couple of years is an indication as how those priorities and putting an emphasis on things has made quite a difference.”

The force does not record offences as “rural crime” but non-domestic burglary – often theft from farm buildings – fell 10 per cent from 9,182 to 8,303.

Mr Stansfeld is now preparing a revised police and crime plan for this financial year and has raised fraud and cyber crime as a priority.

He also said he wanted to concentrate more on cultural crimes such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

And he said he wanted to improve the force’s working relationship with the Crown Prosecution Service.