MPA Chair gives cautious welcome to latest street crime figures

56/02
16 May 2002

Toby Harris, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, has given a cautious welcome to figures released by New Scotland Yard today that show the rise in street crime in the capital is slowing markedly in the wake of the Met’s Safer Streets campaign.

There were 5,062 street crimes in April, a rise of 6.3 per cent compared with the same time last year. Previously, month-on-month increases were reaching 40 per cent. 

Toby Harris said:

“These figures show that the Safer Streets initiative launched earlier in the year has begun to take effect by tackling head-on a scourge that has brought fear to our communities. 

“However, the goal is to significantly reduce street crime overall, not merely cut the rate of increase. The MPA will be working closely with the Met and our other partners to ensure the downward trend is sustained.

“Other crimes, including violence and sexual offences, car theft and burglary rose in April and we must look at innovative ways of tackling these as well. Safer Streets could have valuable lessons for other areas of crime fighting.”

Notes to editors

Operation Safer Streets was launched in February and now covers 15 London boroughs. Officers from specialist units support local borough-based officers in operations where intelligence and performance is constantly monitored and evaluated.

In the ten months preceding the start of Safer Streets, the average rate of increase of street crime was 40 per cent. At the end of phase one at the end of March, the level had been reduced to an average rate of increase of 10 per cent.

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