Poor Clear-up Rates Spoil Picture of Falling Crime

2.51.50pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 30th Sep 2005

The police are increasingly optimistic that growing numbers of police on the streets and improved policing methods are reducing crime levels. The Metropolitan Police is currently being expanded to enable every ward to have a safer neighbourhood team (of a sergeant, two PCs and three PCSOs). And overall crime levels - for total notifiable offences - fell 3.6% in the borough over the last year.

Vincent Cable said: "the police have a good story to tell at the moment. We now have 70 more police officers than three years ago; there is more police visibility; and with more flexible shift patterns, they are more accessible when they are needed".

"There are two blemishes. One is the very poor telephone service. The other, less well recognised, is the poor clear-up rate fro volume crime", Robbery rose 5% over the last year and the detection rate was under 10%. Burglary was up 23% and detection rates are only 8.5%. Motor vehicle crime is up 7.7% with detection rates under 3%.

Vincent Cable added: "I realise crime figures are easily misunderstood and misinterpreted. But the figures suggest, all too clearly, that the chances of a criminal being caught for burglary or robbery are pretty slim and, for stealing, a vehicle, almost non-existent".