Crime in London fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2007. Last year’s 6.1 per cent fall in crime was the highest yet.
This follows a policing revolution in London over the last eight years, reversing the Tory policy of cutting police numbers year after year, and instead recruiting record numbers of police and putting them back on the beat in every neighbourhood. The proportion of black, Asian and ethnic minority police officers has increased so that the Met looks more like London, along with vastly improved relations with London’s ethnic minority communities.
At the same time the Metropolitan Police Service has had to cope with the biggest
counter-terrorism challenges in its history. Ken has ensured that the Met receives the resources its needs to police the capital and keep Londoners safe.
The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority has enjoyed a strong record of success in cutting fires and fire deaths, which we will continue.
If re-elected Ken Livingstone’s priority will be to continue the six per cent reduction in crime each year – and add a further 1,000 police over the next year to London’s existing record police numbers and maintain a dedicated police team in every neighbourhood.
- Average annual fall in crime in London in the last three years of 5.5 per cent
- Crime in London fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2007, with the rate of decline significantly accelerating: crime fell by 2.2 per cent in 2003, 1.9 per cent, in 2004, 4.4 per cent in 2006, and 6.1 per cent in 2007 – the highest yet
- Raised police numbers from 25,000 in 2000 to 31,000 in 2007, plus 3,700 police community support officers also on the beat – record numbers of police in London
- A dedicated beat police team for every neighbourhood in Londonof at least six officers
- Cut violent crime: murder down 28 per cent, gun and knife-enabled crime down 22 per cent, rape down 25 per cent
- Racial and religiously motivated incidents in the capital have declined by more than fifty per cent since 2000.
- Domestic violence murders have been cut by more than 50 per cent.
- Crime on buses and Tube both down despite rising passenger numbers, with new police unit on bus routes, and increase in British Transport Police from 450 to 700 to improve safety on rail services
- All buses now equipped with CCTV as are all Underground stations
- Set up Operation BusTag to combat anti-social behaviour on buses, has tripled the arrest rate for offences such as graffiti
- Supporting the work of the Met in tackling drug-related crime and working with the Greater London Alcohol and Drug Alliance
- Licensing of minicabs combined with Safer Travel at Night campaign raising awareness of danger of trips with illegal taxi touts – 66% reduction in cab-related serious sexual offences
- 53 per cent increase in black, Asian and ethnic minority, and 34 per cent increase of women, police officer numbers over the last five years
- Eighteen per cent reduction in fires and nineteen per cent fall in deaths from fire and an average time to answer emergency calls of 4 seconds