MPA welcomes a safer London as overall crime falls

57/06
18 September 2006

The Metropolitan Police Authority today welcomed publication of the latest MPS crime figures which reveal a 6.9% fall in overall crime in the capital in the last five months compared to the same period last year. Londoners’ confidence in policing in the capital has also increased.

Welcoming today’s figures, Len Duvall, chair of the MPA, said:

“These latest crime figures are good news for Londoners. It means 29,000 fewer offences, which graphically illustrates that the MPS is working hard to achieve a safer city for all our communities.

“The Authority is also pleased to see that the sanctioned detection rate has risen to 20.1%, compared to 16.6% last year. This represents the highest rate the MPS has ever achieved since records began in 1998 and is a significant accomplishment.

“It should also be noted that Londoners' confidence in policing is increasing. New data from the MPS Public Attitude Survey (2005/6), measuring Londoners' attitudes to policing, indicates 64% of those questioned stated they were confident in the MPS, an 11% rise since last year.

“This increase in confidence has much to do with the effectiveness of Safer Neighbourhoods, dedicated neighbourhood teams in every London ward to combat the types of low-level crime that effect people on a daily basis. This initiative is re-establishing a police-community partnership to tackle criminality and heralds a new relationship between the MPS and our communities that will continue to flourish and achieve results.

“The Authority remains concerned about the increase in robbery, although that increase is lower than previously recorded. The MPS has deployed more resources, which is evident from the slower rate of increase - 9.4% over the last 12 months compared to 16.1% at the end of 2005/06 - but we will want to monitor progress in future months and be reassured that action will continue to drive the figures down.

“The MPS is to be congratulated for these overwhelmingly good results which are even more impressive when we consider the continued effort and resources that are directed into counter-terrorist activities in this time of unprecedented activity.”

Notes to editors

1. Overall crime is down by 6.9% when comparing the first 5 months of this financial year with the same 5 months in 2005-06.

2. The latest crime statistics are available on the MPS website: www.met.police.uk/crimefigures

3. Sanction Detection: a detection in which a person was charged, reported for summons, cautioned or issued with a fixed penalty notice, or the offence was taken into consideration by a court. Street warnings for possession of Cannabis are also counted as sanction detections

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback