April 2007 News
Biggest drop in crime
Crime is dropping in Hackney faster than anywhere else in London, according to the latest figures.
Offences have been cut by more than 7,000, or 28 per cent, in the past three years – the best results for any borough in the capital.
Street robberies, home burglaries, and car thefts were all down in 2006/07, while overall crime fell by nearly 15 per cent.
The good news was revealed in the latest audited figures from the Metropolitan Police, released on 19 April.
Chief Superintendent Steve Dann, Borough Commander, said Hackney’s streets were getting safer, crime was falling, and the challenge was now to sustain the progress. “After four months in this role, my key priority over the next year is to get this ‘safer Hackney’ message out to residents."
"Unfortunately the historic reputation of Hackney still sticks; when in fact there are 12 other boroughs in London with higher street crime figures than ourselves. Tackling crime cannot be done in isolation – we need to be engaged with the communities we serve, and through the work of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Safer Schools officers for example, this is an area where we have made much progress in recent years.”
The borough’s police achieved all its crime reduction targets with just one exception – cycle theft, which has gone up by five per cent, although a new plan is being developed to tackle this.
Hackney was also the first borough to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in priority crimes, a three-year target which the borough’s police met in 18 months.
Mayor Jules Pipe said: “For the vast majority of residents, Hackney is becoming a safer place, with crime continuing to drop faster here than anywhere else in London."
"The Council and police along with other partners are all working hard to ensure a safer Hackney for our residents and visitors. These figures show that work is continuing to make a real impact on people’s lives in the borough and that antisocial and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Page updated: 24 Apr 2007