Epping Forest
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EPPING FOREST: Crime task force fails to meet target
A TASKFORCE set up to tackle crime in the district has failed to meet a Government target on reducing a 'basket of offences'.
There were 5,754 crimes - identified under the term 'basket of offences', including wounding, assault, robbery, burglary, criminal damage and theft of a car - in the Epping Forest district in the year to March 2004, according to British Crime Survey statistics.
The Epping Forest Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership was told by the Home Office to slash that number by 920 to 4,834 - a drop of 16 per cent - by the year to March 2008.
But it fell short and achieved an overall 12 per cent reduction - a drop of 665 to 5,089.
A Crime Disorder Reduction Partnership spokesman said the result still indicated a "significant improvement in our performance", and pointed out the 16 per cent reduction had contributed to an overall 20 per cent drop in Essex.
He said good transport links to the district left it open to criminals visiting from surrounding areas, adding: "The district is unique in Essex with its close proximity to London and, having nine Tube stations, we also border nine CDRPs and this brings with it the problems of travelling criminality."
District council community wellbeing portfolio holder Syd Stavrou said feedback from senior police officers suggested the 16 per cent reduction target was too ambitious to start with because it was set at a time when crime was already at an historically low point in the district.
She echoed the belief that the area is exposed to "opportunist crimes" by travelling criminality, but said extra measures such as number plate recognition schemes on local roads, and joint-operations with British Transport Police, have been put in place to tackle this.
She added: "I think a 12 per cent reduction is no mean feat in an area which is historically very difficult to police.
"But residents can rest assured we are tightening up our borders are determined to continue to drive crime down."
3:58pm Thursday 1st May 2008
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