Spike in Crime Figures At Start of Summer


But overall crime was down in August

Police figures show a steady increase in crime across the borough over the early summer months.

In May, 1962 crimes were reported in Hammersmith and Fulham, in June, the figure had gone up to 2001 crimes, while the figure for July was 2019.

By August, however, the overall figure had dropped to 1,843 crimes, according to police statistics.

Crime in Hammersmith and Fulham

August figures were down over the school holidays and police say schools officers ran a summer camp at Phoenix High School throughout the month to keep young people off the streets during the summer break. They say five hundred young people were booked onto the camp and around 200 attended each day.

Officers also worked with local schools and youth clubs throughout the summer holidays, offering young people week-long placements to give them experience of working for the police.

However, not all crimes went down in August: despite the decrease in drugs offences in most wards across the borough, Wormholt and White City saw a 60% increase compared to August 2008.

Askew ward experienced a 60% increase in burglary in August 2009, compared to the previous year, while there was a 33.3% increase in reported robberies in Wormholt and White City - compared to a drop in all other parts of W12.

Shepherd's Bush Green ward, meanwhile, saw a 129.6% increase in reported 'theft and handling' offences in August, mainly as a result of shoplifting at Westfield.

Crime figures for August 2009, compared to August 2008.

  Shepherd's Bush Green Askew Wormholt and White City College Park and Old Oak Hammersmith and Fulham
Burglary -28.6% +60% +55.6% +50% -23.1%
Criminal Damage -50% -44.4% -42.9% +10% -24.7%
Drugs Offences -20% 0% +60% -43.8% -21.9%
Fraud or Forgery -62.5% -66.7% -66.7% -50% -5.3%
Robbery -58.3% -62.5% +33.3% 0% -41.9%
Sexual Offences 0% -33.3% -100% 0% -38.1%
Theft and Handling +129.6% +48.1% +42.1% +44.1% +23.6%
Violence Against the Person +33.3% -7.7% -47.1% -12% -9.1%

17 September 2009