Borough crime performance: April to November 2006

Report: 6
Date: 16 January 2007
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an overview of key volume crime indicators in each borough for the financial year to date i.e. April 2006 to Nov 2006 compared with April 2005 to Nov 2005. Where mentioned, Home Office iQuanta data is updated to October 2006. The previous report covered the dates April to July 2006.

A. Recommendation

That Members are asked to note the report

B. Supporting information

British Crime Survey comparator crime (BCS) (Appendix 1)

1. BCS offences across the MPS were down by 6.2%, nearly 24000 offences for April – Nov 06 against April – Nov 05. Every month this year recorded the lowest number of BCS offences for that particular month in over three years (since the measure was introduced by the Home Office in April 2003). Each month this year has recorded fewer than 49000 offences.

2. Home Office iQuanta tables (for the 3 months to Oct 06) are showing the MPS ‘in line with peers’ and ‘improving’. The current MPS victimisation rate is 18.05 per 1000 residents, only West Midlands are better with 16.60. Greater Manchester has the highest victimisation rate in the group at 21.36.

3. Year to date BCS offences on iQuanta (April – Oct 06), show the MPS down –6%, against the same period last year. Two MSF forces are seeing a reduction, Merseyside down –7% and West Midlands down -4%. Whereas West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester are seeing increases of 2% and 5% respectively.

4. At the end of October only Camden is shown as ‘worse than peers’ and ‘clearly deteriorating’ on iQuanta. No other boroughs are shown as ‘deteriorating’ or ‘clearly deteriorating’. Only five further boroughs are shown as ‘worse than peers’, Newham as ‘improving’ and Ealing Islington, Hillingdon and Westminster all with ‘no change’.

5. Twenty-eight boroughs are recording fewer BCS offences than the same period last year. The largest reductions have been seen in Haringey down –14.4% (-2081 offences), Barnet down –14.4% (-1978 offences), Bexley –14.7% (-1267), Kingston upon Thames –15.1% (-918 offences) and Hackney down –16.8% (-2587).

6. Only four boroughs are recording an increase in BCS offences Camden, Hillingdon, Redbridge and Ealing. Of these, Camden is the only borough with an increase of over 5%.

7. Haringey has reductions across the board. The largest volume reductions are in BCS Assaults (BCS Wounding + BCS Common Assault) and Criminal Damage, both down by over 500 offences. A large reduction is also being seen in Theft of Motor Vehicles, down by over 300 offences.

8. Good performance on Barnet is being driven by a reduction in Theft of Motor Vehicle (down over 450), Pick Pocketing, Criminal Damage and Residential Burglary all with reductions of over 200. Every month since May 2006 has seen less than 1500 BCS offences.

9. Good Performance on Bexley is being driven by Criminal Damage, down by 400 offences and Theft from Motor Vehicle, down by over 300 offences. Every month this year recorded the lowest number of BCS offences for that particular month in over three years.

10. Good performance on Kingston is being driven by reductions in Theft of Pedal Cycle and Criminal Damage both with reductions of over 280 offences. November saw the lowest number of offences in any month since the measure was introduced in April 2003 with 564 offences.

11. Hackney is seeing large reductions in Residential Burglary, Theft from Motor Vehicle and BCS Assaults (BCS Wounding + BCS Common Assault) all down by over 500 offences.

12. Camden is currently seeing the largest increase in BCS offences up 5.4% (809 offences). This is mainly due to a large increase in Theft from Motor Vehicle. Levels for October and November 06 are back to the levels of 2003/04.

Personal robbery (appendix 2b)

13. Across the MPS Personal Robbery is up 1.5%, 418 offences April – Nov 06 against the same period last year. October and November have seen the highest level of offences (for those months) since FY 2001/02, although still below the levels reached in FY01/02. Offences levels have been rising since the start of September.

The iQuanta overview in sections 14 & 15 is based on Total Robbery not Personal Robbery.

14. iQuanta shows the MPS as ‘worse than peers’ and ‘no change’.

15. At borough level, iQuanta is showing Bexley, Haringey, Sutton and Waltham Forest as ‘improving’ or ‘clearly improving’. Ealing and Havering are shown as ‘worse than peers’ and ‘deteriorating’, Greenwich is ‘in line with peers’ and ‘clearly deteriorating’. All other boroughs show ‘no change’.

16. For Personal Robbery the current MPS victimisation rate is 1.41 per 1000 residents. The rest of the group ranges from 0.78 (West Midlands) to 0.36 (West Yorkshire).

17. Year to date Personal Robbery offences on iQuanta (April – Oct 06) show the MPS up 0%, against the same period last year. Merseyside is the only force in the MSF is showing a reduction, down –10%. The increases for the other forces in the MSF are West Midlands up 2%, Greater Manchester up 13% and West Yorkshire up 20%.

18. At the end of November, 15 boroughs were recording a decrease in offences, including Southwark, Haringey, Bexley, Waltham Forest, and Barnet all with reductions over -15%.

19. The most notable increases are in Hillingdon up 44.9% (184 offences), Bromley up 44.8% (213 offences), Ealing up 30.9% (365 offences) and Lewisham up 20.7% (292 offences).

20. The six top volume boroughs, Lewisham, Ealing, Lambeth, Southwark, Brent and Newham have all had over 1400 offences, Apr – Nov 2006, and jointly account for a third of MPS Personal Robbery Offences.

Residential burglary (Appendix 3)

21. The MPS currently has a reduction of –7.2%, -3002 offences Apr – Nov 06 against the same period last year. This April - Nov 06 is the lowest in over seven years.

22. iQuanta is showing the MPS ‘in line with peers’ and ‘clearly improving’. The current MPS victimisation rate is 4.40 per 1000 households. This is better than Greater Manchester (5.56) and West Yorkshire (5.45). West Midlands is best in the group with 3.99.

23. At borough level iQuanta is showing only Islington as ‘worse than peers’ and ‘clearly deteriorating’. Camden and Hillingdon are shown as ‘worse than peers’ with ‘no change’. Bexley, Croydon, Hackney, Kingston and Sutton all show ‘better than peers’ and ’improving’ or ‘clearly improving’.

24. Reductions are being recorded in 22 boroughs, including four with reductions of over -20%, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Richmond and Hackney. Hackney is seeing the largest reduction in both volume and percentage terms down -37.4% (-683 offences).

25. Three boroughs have increases of over 10%, Havering up 22.1% (141 offences), Islington up 19.0% (283 offences) and Wandsworth up 14.4% (204 offences).

Motor vehicle crime (Appendix 4)

26. The MPS is currently recording a decrease of -2.3%, -2122 offences for Apr – Nov 06 against the same period last year. The change in offence levels is very different between Theft of Motor Vehicles and Theft from Motor Vehicles, Theft of Motor Vehicles has reduced by –12.3% while Theft from Motor Vehicles has increased by 2.6%.

27. IQuanta is showing the MPS ‘in line with peers’ and ‘no change’. The current MPS victimisation rate is 4.41 per 1000 residents. This is better than Greater Manchester (5.67). West Midlands is best in the group with 3.56.

28. At borough level iQuanta is showing three boroughs, Camden, Hillingdon and Waltham Forest, as ‘worse than peers’ and ‘deteriorating’ or ‘clearly deteriorating’. Bexley, Lewisham, Merton and Sutton are all shown as ‘better than peers’ and ‘improving’.

29. Thirteen boroughs have recorded a decrease of over -5% in Motor Vehicle Crime. These include Bexley down –23.3% (434 offences) and Hackney down –20.2% (754 offences), both have seen large reductions in both Theft of Motor Vehicle and Theft from Motor Vehicle.

30. Twelve boroughs have recorded increases in Motor Vehicle Crime. These include the top four volume boroughs Newham up 1.0%, Ealing up 7.4%, Camden up 19.5% and Hillingdon up 26.6%. Hillingdon has the highest increase in both percentage and volume up 768 offences.

31. Theft of Motor Vehicle is down –12.3% (over 3700 offences) with only three boroughs showing an increase, Hillingdon 26.2% (253 offences), Camden 7.3% (60 offences) and Islington 2.7% (23 offences).

32. Theft from Motor Vehicle is up 2.6% (over 1500 offences). Eighteen boroughs have recorded increases in Theft from Motor Vehicle, 11 with increases of over 10%. These included three of the top volume boroughs for Motor Vehicle Crime, Hillingdon, Ealing and Camden all with increase of over 500 offences.

BCS assaults (BCS wounding and common assault) (Appendix 5)

33. The MPS is currently recording a decrease of –7.0%, -6744 offences for Apr – Nov 06 against the same period last year. The change in offence levels is similar between BCS Wounding (down –6.2%, -3710 offences) and Common Assault (down –8.3%, -3034 offences).

34. Reductions are being recorded in 28 boroughs, including six with reductions of over -10%, Hounslow, Barking & Dagenham Southwark, Hackney, Haringey and Brent. Brent is seeing the largest reduction in both volume and percentage terms down –18.3% (-695 offences).

35. Two boroughs have increases of over 5%, Hammersmith & Fulham up 5.7% (126 offences), and Redbridge up 5.6% (113 offences).

Other BCS offences

36. Criminal Damage is currently seeing one of the largest volume reductions within the BCS offence category down by over 6000 offences (-7.4%), for April – Nov 06 against April – Nov 05. Only four boroughs are currently seeing an increase.

37. Theft Person is down –12.0% (-3401 offences) for April – Nov 06 against April – Nov 05. Both Pick Pocketing and Snatch Thefts are seeing a reduction. Pick Pocketing is down –14.5% (-2613 offences) and Snatch Theft is down –7.7% (-788 offences).

38. Theft of Pedal Cycle is currently seeing a large reduction, down –16.1% (-2731 offences) for April – Nov 06 against April – Nov 05. Only two boroughs are showing an increase, Southwark up 1.0% (10 offences) and Waltham Forest up 11.8% (25 offences).

C. Race and equality impact

Although there were varying borough performances, the MPS remains committed to making the whole of London safer. Furthermore, implications of performance against individual targets are considered in the in-depth performance reports throughout the year, which examine performance at the corporate level. Within the TP monitoring framework there is recognition of diversity issues relevant to the basket of performance measures, where particular attention is paid to crimes against women and crimes against specific communities receives significant consideration.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial or resource implications of the current work.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Paul Minton, SE Link and Performance, TPHQ, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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