New figures released as 300 residents attend Crime Summit
Crime is continuing to fall in Hammersmith and Fulham,
according to the latest figures from the Metropolitan
Police.
The figures show there were 500 fewer crimes in the
borough between April 1, 2008 and February 1, 2009
– a drop of 2.4 per cent compared to the same 10 month period in the previous year.
Firearms offences were down 57 per cent, with 27 crimes reported compared to 63 the year before.
Knife crime was also down by a quarter, with 233 offences reported in the last ten months compared to 313 in the same period one year before.
The number of thefts from a motor vehicle also fell by a quarter, with 1,879 crimes reported in the last ten months compared to 2,469 in the same period a year previously.
Robbery in the borough fell from 734 to 580, while youth violence fell by 15.5 per cent and residential burglary by 7 per cent.
Councillor Greg Smith, Cabinet Member for Crime & Street Scene, says: “The council’s spending on extra beat Police officers is paying dividends. Combined with a proactive zero-tolerance approach we are seeing the Police make serious inroads into cutting crime. There is still much to do but I am confident that we are on the right track.”
The new figures came as over 300 Hammersmith & Fulham residents aired their views on crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough at the third annual Crime Summit, held at the town hall on Saturday February 28.
The summit brought together the Police and all the council services involved in fighting crime. Residents heard keynote speeches from H&F Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Cllr Greg Smith, Cabinet Member for Crime and Street Scene, and Police Borough Commander Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley.
“In the past year we have closed more crack houses than the whole of Wales," DCS Hurley told the gathered residents. "The public own these streets, not the criminals, bullies or yobs. That is why we are here today. We will continue to take the streets back and bully the bullies.”
Cllr Greenhalgh said he had three requests of the Borough Commander: To keep police active and on the streets, to build on the success of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams and increased number of Neighbourhood Watches, and to keep a check on violent crime.
After the speeches, residents were able to have their say in a series of ward-based workshops.
Council and Police officers say they are now collating hundreds of comments received during the workshops into a list of actions for urgent attention.
9 March 2009