Editorial

DO THE CRIME FIGURES ADD UP?

Comments (1)

12 November 2007

Southwark is London's most violent borough - it's official. Or is it?

Figures released by the Met this week showed the number of violent incidents including assaults, sexual offences and robberies had risen over the last two six month periods, up from 5687 to 5971, which takes us over the previously highest London borough, Tower Hamlets.

Unsurprisingly, the opposition Labour group are questioning what sort of strategy is in place, if violent crime - the type of crime that most Londoners really fear - is soaring in Southwark.

Yet Borough Police Commander Malcolm Tillyer, as well as a nameless council spokesperson, insist they have figures that prove the very opposite, with 1,000 fewer victims in the 2006/7 financial year than 2005/6 and a '22 per cent decrease in serious assaults and significant decreases in robbery and rape'. And their strategies, they claim, are seen as 'best practice' and nationally as beacons of excellence.

So who to believe?

As has ever been the case, the ability of politicians to tackle crime is a sure vote winner, or loser, so little surprise that the figures are fought over so robustly, and the facts bent every which way you like, in order to win the argument. But if anything serves to destroy the public's faith, both in politicians and police, it's the feeling that no-one can actually give a straight answer to the question - is crime on the up or not?

Can anyone give us this answer?

Agree or disagree? Give us your opinion below.

Read more...
Southwark 'most violent in London'

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Comments (1)

1. At 05:20 PM on 27 Nov 2007, Liza Smith wrote:
I totally agree with the figures published regarding violent crime in Southwark. Here is my personal account of crime that has either happened to me or around me. I am a twenty six year old woman, who lives between Old Kent Road and East Street and has done so for twenty-five years. I am not a thug nor am I into gang or drug culture. I am a normal young woman who works as a Manager in a Call Centre near London Bridge. I am scared to go out at night where I live and can honestly say that I have seen or experienced the following:- Had my bicycle stolen at knife point, been sexually assaulted by a stranger in the street, been mugged for my bag, been smashed in the face with a bottle by a stranger in a club, seen a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood with shot wounds, another one with stab wounds (two separate occasions), been woken up in the night by people firing shots or gangs fighting with knifes outside, seen a gang with a shotgun outside my house. This is only my experience. Others in my family include, my sister being mugged twice, attempted mugging on my nephew and my brother-in-law who is a taxi driver, being beaten twice by people not wanting to pay fares in the area. My mum is 64 and I dread her becoming old in Southwark, if I was in a financial situation to support my mum, then I would pay for her to move away from the area. Something needs to be done and fast, as all the everyday people that work and are not involved in gang or drug culture are being pushed out. There will be no one left! I am disappointed that in the 40 second Interviews on this subject, you choose to publish the comments of 10 or so individuals, but only two of them were from the area, the others were from Wembley and Essex etc! What would they know about the area, they get on a train, get off at London Bridge or Cannon St, go to work in an office all day and go home! They have no experience of the crime in the residential areas of Southwark. Someone really needs to listen to people’s experiences like mine, as this is all alarmingly becoming the norm!! Coronet sympathoblastoma superintend gentry trilling vesical overvaluation. Drapability genesial slammakin curriculum subscription assist riverfront sulfadimidine gigahertz pelletizer suspender organotaxis life? Insouciant twencenter cultivation camping; subdural. Jug naval inscriber.
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