Contents
Report 10 for the 14 Sep 00 meeting of the MPA Committee and discusses performance information about Street Crime in the MPS.
Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).
See the MOPC website for further information.
Street crime performance indicators and analysis
Report: 10
Meeting: Metropolitan Police Authority
Date: 14 September 2000
By: Commissioner
Summary
This report provides performance information about Street Crime in the MPS. It includes a picture of trends over time, performance against the 2000/2001 target, and comparison with other Metropolitan forces. The paper gives details of factors that have been identified as contributing to the rise in street crime. The paper sets out the elements of the MPS Street Crime action plan. This issue was discussed by the Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee on 29th August. The paper has been updated to reflect the discussion (paragraph 13).
A. Supporting information
Street crime statistics
Level of street crime offences - trends over time
1. Street crime comprises the offences of robbery of personal property and theft person (snatch). Between 1995/1996 and 1998/1999 street crime showed a gradual year on year reduction, with offences in 1998/1999 being 10.3% lower than the 1995/1996 level (pre boundary change figures).
2. The first signs of a rise in street crime took place around March 1999, when offences rose to over 3,000 a month. This compares with an average level in 1998/1999 of around 2,600 (adjusted to post boundary change).
3. In January 2000 the level rose again to over 4,000 a month. The number of offences has been falling since May 2000. In July 2000 it dropped below 4,000 for the first time since December 1999. Chart 1 attached shows the monthly variation in offences since August 1998.
Performance against MPS targets 2000/2001
4. The MPS has set a target to hold street crime at 1999/2000 levels for 2000/2001. For the period April to July 2000, street crime has shown a 23.1% increase against the same months in 1999. The percentage increase against the average offences in 1999/2000 is 13.9%. This lower figure reflects the rapid rise in offences for the whole of 1999/2000 compared with the start of that year.
5. Chart 2 shows how the monthly offences compare against the average monthly target level.
6. Within the street crime figures, robbery of personal property has risen by 20.7% (April to July 2000 compared with the same months in 1999). The greater increase can however be seen within the category of snatch, which has risen by 30.2%.
Judicial disposals
7. The MPS target is to achieve a judicial disposal rate for street crime of 9%. During April to July 2000 the rate was 8.5%. The target has however been achieved over the last two months, with a JD rate of 10.1% being achieved in June. This shows a considerable improvement over the 1999/2000 rate of 7.7%. Chart 3 shows the monthly rates since August 1999.
Comparative levels of robbery in metropolitan forces
8. The following table shows the level and variation in robbery offences for a selection of metropolitan forces. The table focuses on robbery (robbery of personal property and robbery of business property), rather than street crime (robbery of personal property and snatch), since not all other forces are able to provide comparative street crime data. The table provides 1999/2000 planning year data and a comparison with 1998/1999.
| 1999/2000 Planning Year | No . of offences | % variation (compared with 1998/1999) | Resident population | Offences per 1000 res. pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPS | 36317 | 37.9% | 7,377,841 | 4.92 |
| Greater Manchester | 8634 | 13.1% | 2,570,484 | 3.36 |
| West Midlands | 10092 | 38.0% | 2,625,789 | 3.84 |
| West Yorkshire | 3088 | 0.5% | 2,083,136 | 1.48 |
| Merseyside | 2663 | 7.2% | 1,448,940 | 1.84 |
| Northumbria | 1389 | 3.1% | 1,435,883 | 0.97 |
| South Yorkshire | 1122 | 14.6% | 1,299,897 | 0.86 |
- After the MPS, West Midlands and Greater Manchester have the highest base level of robbery offences. West Midlands suffered from the same percentage rise in offences in 1999/2000 as the MPS.
- With the exception of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, the level of offences in other forces is roughly equivalent to those of a London borough.
- Offences over the first two months of the 2000/2001 planning year indicate a rise in robbery in four out of seven of the metropolitan forces selected.
- The percentage increases in both the MPS and West Midlands have remained very close. Whilst both percentage increases have more than halved, this is mainly because the base for comparison incorporates the rise in offences over 1999/2000.
- The trends in April-May 2000 suggest that GMP could be about to suffer from a similar rise in offences to that in the MPS and West Midlands.
Factors that contribute to the rise in street crime
Changes to victim age profile
9. Since Spring 1998 there has been a disproportionate increase in the number of victims aged between 10 and 17. This is the only age group to experience a disproportionate increase. It means that between 3000 and 6000 more offences were committed than would have been, had the proportion of victims in each age group remained the same. Moreover, the data suggest that this increase is not spread evenly over the two year period, but concentrated in the period January 2000 to date.
Changes to property stolen profile
10. The number of mobile phones stolen in street crime has increased since Spring 1998, with mobile phones becoming a higher proportion of property from street crime as a result. The level of ownership of mobile phones among members of the public has increased dramatically over the same period. A recent Oftel report quotes an 84% increase in mobile phone subscribers between December 1998 and January 2000.
11. There is some evidence to suggest that victims were targeted because the perpetrator was aware that they possessed a mobile phone. There is also evidence that false reporting of the theft of mobile phones by robbery is occurring. It is believed that this is due to the insurance cover provided for mobile phones at time of purchase that only allows for reimbursement for theft as opposed to personal loss. The loser has to show due diligence.
12. Since January 2000 there has been a disproportionate increase among the 10-17 age group in the number of offences where a mobile phone was stolen. Victims in this age group were also most likely to have a mobile phone stolen.
13. Statistics about those accused of street crimes, show that since January 2000 there has been an increase in the number, and proportion, of accused in the 10-17 age group.
The MPS street crime action plan
Safer streets
14. In the face of rising levels of Street Crime the Commissioner launched Safer Streets, the MPS campaign to tackle street crime. The campaign includes the development of local plans at each of the 32 boroughs, as well as a media campaign and the Strongbox operation described below.
Strongbox
15. Strongbox is the targeting of specialist resources from Specialist Operations and Pan-London units at the particular street crime problems of identified boroughs. The approach was introduced at Lambeth (Operation Windmill) in May and June, and moved to Hackney (Operation Empire) in August. The Lambeth operation involved high profile policing, one-stop investigation, bus and tube initiatives, a drugs task force and fast-track forensic support.
16. The results and lessons learned from Lambeth are being used to inform Empire. The next boroughs to be targeted under Strongbox are Camden and Islington.
Mobile phones
17. The MPS is meeting with the Home Office and key players in the telephone and insurance industries to consider security improvements to mobile phones. In addition, the MPS is developing educational material about property marking for mobile phones, and will be leafleting schools.
Additional government funding
18. The Government has awarded the MPS £9 million to support the anti street robbery initiative. Although no conditions on the use of this funding are currently known, further Home Office guidance may yet appear and may therefore require changes to our plans.
19. The three main strands to the proposals for making best use of this funding are:
- In direct support of the 32 borough plans, created under the Safer Streets Campaign.
- Enhanced application of Operation Strongbox across the MPS.
- By generic fast time improvements in processes and by longer term improvements in analysis and problem solving.
20. The MPS has agreed that Safer Streets will receive funding of £4 million and £2 million be made available for support of Strong Box.
21. The table at Appendix A gives an initial plan for the additional funding.
B. Recommendations
- Members are asked to note the statistics provided, and the plan of action being followed by the MPS.
C. Financial implications
The MPS has planned to use the £9M made available by Home Office to tackle Street Crime. This will be monitored by MPS.
D. Review arrangements
Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring should review Street Crime performance each month, as part of the regular MPS performance report. It is suggested that the committee should re-examine the detail in 3 months, in advance of target setting for 2000/2001.
E. Background papers
The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed below or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.
None.
F. Contact details
The author of this report is Cath Kitching, Corporate Performance Analysis Unit.
For information contact:
MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18
Appendix A
| Summary of MPS Plans for additional Street Crime funding | Estimated Funding |
|---|---|
| Support for borough plans To be achieved by direct bids from boroughs, with each bid assessed, monitored and evaluated throughout the operation. Bids will include both revenue and capital monies using best practice from Operation Windmill. |
£4 million. |
| Operation Strongbox By providing additional overtime it is proposed that the planned coverage could be extended by 50%, and therefore guarantee reaching the seven crime fighting fund boroughs. |
£2 million. |
| Improvement in Process | |
| i) Investigation The waiting time that some boroughs are faced with when trying to secure identification suite resources is incompatible with Narey principles and CPS guidelines, this therefore needs redressing. Increase identification facilities by 100% |
£1.6 million |
| ii) Improved Analysis It is recommended that the training of 120 analysts is improved across the MPS over the next 12 months. |
£200,000 |
| iii) Forensic It is believed that an investment in forensic opportunities in street crime would help maximise existing potential and create new development opportunities. |
£200,000 |
| iv) Diversion Analysis has shown that some 80% of offenders are first time offenders, thus giving a major opportunity for successful diversion initiatives. |
£600,000 |
| Media A sustained media campaign is an integral part of both the Safer Streets and Strong Box interventions in particular boroughs. |
£200,000 |
| Longer Term Improvements | |
| i) Analysis of Causation A strategic analysis of the origin of the major rise in street crime in London is needed for a comprehensive campaign. |
|
| ii) What Works in Policing Interventions and Diversion of Offenders. Key initiatives should be externally evaluated so that future investments can be made on a sound |
£200,000 |
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