THE chief constable of Wiltshire Police has praised the skills of medical staff and paramedics in helping to reduce the national murder rate to a 20-year low.

Mr Moore, who is also the Association of Chief Police Officers’ spokesman on violence and public protection, said the rapid response times and improvements in medical skills were a major factor in the diminishing number of murders.

Official figures to be published this month are expected to show a dramatic fall in the number of murders in the year to the end of last March.

The number of homicides (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) fell by to 648 in 2007-08 — the lowest recorded by police in the past 20 years. However, in the same period serious violence has risen. Serious woundings increased from 12,531 in 1997 to 15,122 in 2007-08.

Mr Moore said: “We would say it is the faster and better application of medical skills and science by paramedics.

“They now get to the scenes of crimes very quickly.

“Faster medical engagement and the paramedic approach is a fact all of my colleagues mention as the key reason for the fall in the number of murders.”

Mr Moore said the communications revolution was also helping to save lives.

In the past it could take up to 45 minutes for help to arrive at the scene of a violent incident but now paramedics are often there within 15 minutes, he said.

“People have mobile phones and so they can call the emergency services more quickly than in the past,” he said.

“The paramedics can get to the scenes more speedily, can stabilise the casualty and take immediate steps to protect life.

“They can open up somebody’s chest, work on the wound and sew it up there and then.”