United in fight against crime

10:37am Tuesday 16th October 2007

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Borough commander Chief Superintendent Charles Griggs and Councillor Colin Bloom tell reporter JON CHEETHAM how the latest crime figures show the Safer Bromley Partnership is working.

ACCORDING to the latest crime performance figures, there were 1,800 fewer crimes reported between April 1 and September 30, compared with the same period last year - a fall of 13 per cent.

The total number of violent crimes reported has also decreased.

Robberies fell from 486 to 314 - a 35 per cent drop, while common assaults dropped from 599 to 521 - a fall of 13 per cent.

Woundings fell from 1355 to 1073 - a drop of 21 per cent.

The borough is aiming for an overall 17.5 per cent drop in reported crimes over a three-year period.

At the start of the three-year period in April 2004 a total of 18,195 crimes were reported.

This fell to 16,128 crimes reported from April 1 to September 30 this year, a fall of 17 per cent.

Talking about reaching the 17.5 per cent target, Mr Griggs said: "In the first two years it looked unlikely we would achieve this.

"The third year was going to be tough but things put in place over the past 12 months are making a difference."

Among the measures making this happen are Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Safer Transport Teams, which provide a visible police presence on the streets and on public transport.

Alongside the police and PCSOs are council officers targeting enviro-crimes, rogue traders and illegal licensing as part of the Safer Bromley Partnership.

The aim is to change the kind of people who use the town centres at night and to make it attractive to the people who have stayed away in the past.

Feedback from businesses and people involved in the night-time economy of Bromley suggests the town centre has been through a genuine transformation over the past 12 months.

Tougher licensing laws enforced by council licensing officers is an example of how the members of the partnership work together.

Cllr Bloom said: "The partnership is intelligence-led and the targeting of businesses and landlords is creating a growing sense of responsibility among hosts and landlords.

"It is not in their interests places such as Bromley, Orpington and Beckenham get a bad reputation."

The figures also show a drop in theft, with burglary down from 1,012 to 768 - a fall of 24 per cent.

Crimes classed as theft from a person fell by 13 per cent, from 248 to 215, while thefts from motor vehicles fell from 1,483 to 1,166 - a 21 per cent drop.

However, vehicle theft went up by nine per cent to 618, up from 567. This is due to a resurgence in the popularity of joyriding among teenagers.

Cases of interfering or tampering with a motor vehicle went up by 12 per cent, from 92 to 103 cases.

Mr Griggs said: "The rise is due to youngsters stealing older vehicles. They are lifting older cars from the streets. The scrap value of old cars has gone up as well."

He added: "We know where this is happening. It is about targeting resources in these localities."

Despite the encouraging figures, Bromley residents have a greater fear of crime than residents in other London boroughs where crime rates are much higher.

The Met's Public Attitude Survey asks people about their perceptions of policing and experiences.

Its last quarterly survey, from January to April, showed people in Bromley fear crime more than in 29 of the 31 other London boroughs.