HOME OFFICE News
Release (137/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 28 July 2008
Every
neighbourhood in England and Wales will have access to the latest
local crime information through new interactive crime maps, Home
Secretary Jacqui Smith announced today.
The rollout of interactive crime maps follows the announcement
made by the Home Secretary earlier this month, as part of the
Policing Green Paper, that every police force in the country has
now delivered monthly crime information to the public on their
websites. New interactive crime maps will take the rollout of
local crime information to the next level.
By the end of the year every police force area will produce crime
maps which will allow the public to:
* see where and when crime has happened, down to street level for
some crimes;
* make comparisons with other areas; and
* learn how crime is being tackled by their local neighbourhood
policing team.
The new maps will give the public the information they need to
hold their local police force to account. The maps will
communicate to the public how they can get involved in setting
local policing priorities to reduce the crime that matters to them
in their area.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"The public are the best weapon for fighting crime. By
rolling out up-to-date, interactive crime maps we can better
inform people about crime problems in their area and enable them
to have much more of a say in what their local police focus on.
This will help increase public confidence in the police and make
communities safer.
"The latest annual crime figures showed another drop in
crime nationwide but it's important that people understand
what this means to them in their local area and where challenges remain.
"We are working with the Association of Chief Police
Officers to bring in the best police and Government expertise to
roll out local crime maps in every neighbourhood by the end of the
year. I want to congratulate the West Midlands police force for
being among the first to develop this new tool."
The Home Secretary made the announcement on a visit to Brierley
Police Station in the West Midlands to see a demonstration of
local crime maps in action. The Home Secretary met local people to
discuss how the maps will encourage them to engage with local
police to tackle crime in their area. The force will be among the
first to introduce the interactive maps when an updated version of
its crime mapping website launches in September.
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on Policing
Futures, Sir Norman Bettison said:
"My own Police Authority in West Yorkshire started, two
years ago, to make available crime mapping data to keep the public
informed about local incidents and trends. This fulfils the key
responsibility to give information to communities in order that
they can see the real level of crime and help the police to
address it. This neighbourhood picture has provided reassurance
for many people about the ability of the police to tackle crime in
their local area. Given this positive response from the public,
ACPO supports the roll-out of this facility nationally and will be
assisting the Home Office in taking it forward."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Government's Crime Strategy 'Cutting Crime: A
New Partnership 2008-11', published in July 2007, contained a
commitment to provide access to more and better local crime
information for the public. This was delivered on time in July 2008.
2. Public crime mapping is part of the Government's
commitment to strengthen community engagement in policing, which
is at the heart of the reform programme outlined in the recently
published Policing Green Paper.
3. Hampshire, Lancashire and West Yorkshire (along with the West
Midlands) are currently the leading forces on crime maps, with
other forces preparing to introduce them this year.
4. The latest published crime statistics showed in 2007/08 crime
measured by the British Crime Survey fell by ten per cent compared
with 2006/07. Police recorded crime fell by nine per cent.
Decreases were recorded in nearly every crime type, including:
* Violent crime down by 12 per cent according to the BCS;
* Police recorded sex offences down seven per cent;
* Vandalism down ten per cent according to the BCS;
* Police recorded violence against the person down eight per cent;
* Vehicle related theft down 11 per cent according to the BCS;
* Domestic burglary reported to the police down four per cent; and
* Perceptions of anti-social behaviour down two percentage points
to 16 per cent.
5. The government will also be sharing good practice with the
police service, such as the Cabinet Office examples of crime
mapping which can be found at http://powerofinformation.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/crime-mapping-proof-of-concept/