EVERYONE tends to assume crime is going up and that everything is getting worse.

While some day's events, and indeed some day's headlines, can give such a gloomy impression at times, the truth is more complicated - and a little rosier.

Crime is in fact going down, and has fallen for the third year running in North Yorkshire - by 7.2 per cent.

This remains one of the safest areas in the country in which to live and work, and North Yorkshire Police deserve praise for trying to keep it that way by making further steps to contain crime.

There is no room for complacency, as the police themselves recognise, but credit where it is due: in this county we have a forward-looking, modern police force that does not only rely on the old ways of doing things.

Technology has helped, with movable CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition systems. Crime-busting gizmos are certainly useful, but a human approach is needed too. Which is why North Yorkshire Police deserves praise for its work with the community, including the pioneering "Cop Idol" meetings which allow members of the public to pick policing priorities.

The extra community support officers offer another side of human policing, putting a presence back on the streets, which is what people always say they want.

Community cuts both ways, and the police acknowledge local communities have helped them combat crime.

This is as it should be, because we cannot afford to assume that crime is only the police's problem. We all have to do our bit, even if it is just telling the police what we want.

Crime will still ruin some people's lives and impinge on others. Yet the overall picture leaves room for optimism.

With luck, next year's figures will show another decline.