Street crime analysis

Report: 4
Date: 13 February 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report gives information and commentary on street crime trends. It includes information about time of offence, age of offender, property taken and the use of weapons.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to note the report.

B. Supporting information

This report has been prepared to give background information on the patterns of street crime in the MPS, and to provide PSPM members with details of trends. In particular, it reports on the involvement of weapons and of young people in street crime offences.

The paper attached as Appendix 1 gives information about:

• Street crime trends
• Ethnic appearance of victims and accused
• Time of offending
• Property Stolen
• Youth accused and involvement of weapons
• Youth victims

The MPS has set a target for the current year of stemming the growth in street crime offences, and increasing the judicial disposal rate to 10 per cent. Performance shows that street crime is still increasing, but that the rate of increase has slowed. Judicial disposal rates have increased to 8.3 per cent for the period April-December 2000.

The MPS has undertaken a range of activities and initiatives to address the issue of street crime. A summary of the work undertaken is given in Appendix 2. One particular focus has been Operation Strongbox, which has focused specialist resources on high crime boroughs. Strongbox has been implemented at Lambeth, Hackney, Camden and Islington and Westminster. A full review of the impact of Strongbox is currently underway, and will be reported to PSPM in March.

C. Financial implications

None.

D. Review arrangements

The next quarterly report on street crime is planned for May 2001. A report on the impact of Strongbox will be provided for PSPM in March.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

The author of this report are Graham Swinton, MPS Performance Information Bureau and Cath Kitching, MPS Corporate Performance Analysis Unit.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 2: Summary of actions taken to address street crime

Safer streets

• In the face of rising levels of Street Crime, the Commissioner launched Safer Streets, the MPS campaign to tackle street crime. The campaign included the development of local plans at each of the 32 boroughs, as well as a media campaign and the Strongbox operation described below.

Operations

• Strongbox was set up to target specialist resources from Specialist Operations and Pan-London units at particular street crime problems of identified boroughs. The approach was introduced at Lambeth (Operation Windmill) in May and June and involved high profile policing, one-stop investigation, bus and tube initiatives, a drugs task force and fast-track forensic support. Strongbox moved to Hackney (Operation Empire) in August and then to Camden and Islington in October (Operation Regis). Most recently, Strongbox has focussed on Westminster.

• Operation Crackdown – addresses street crime through the targeting of the open drugs market, which can encourage street crime.
• Operation Lilac – run in Camden and Westminster – again targeting the open drugs market and through this, street crime.
• Operation Seneca has been set up in Lewisham to target crime on and around bus routes, much of this being street crime.

Improved tactics

• The MPS is in the process of bringing in tactical advisors at DCI level. In addition the Operation Solutions Database (a resource for boroughs to draw upon when tackling street crime) is being developed.

Mobile phones

• On behalf of ACPO the MPS has met with the Home Office and key players in the telephone and insurance industries to consider the solutions to mobile phone crime. In addition, the MPS is developing educational material about property marking for mobile phones, and will be leafleting schools.

Additional government funding

The Government awarded the MPS £9 million to support the anti street robbery initiative. The 3 main strands for use of this funding, which are detailed further in the following table, were:

• 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.

Summary of MPS actions/plans for additional street crime funding

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