MP Comments on Latest Crime Figures

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 21st Jul 2003

The latest crime figures show that the Richmond detection rate for violence against the person are as low as 24%, one of the lowest in the country, and even lower for robbery (18.5%), burglary (14.5%) and theft of a motor vehicle (12%) and from a motor vehicle (only 2.4%).

The figures are even worse for neighbouring areas especially Kingston (where only 15.7% of violent attacks lead to detection)and Hounslow (18.5%) which suggests that there is a general problem in London, especially suburban London.

At the same time crimes of violence in the borough are up 2.0% over last year and burglary is up 2.7% though there is a decline of sexual offences, robbery and theft of vehicles.

Vincent Cable MP who is also Chair of the All Party Police Group said that; "the trend in offences isn't clear cut. Some are up and some are down and there is, anyway, quite a lot of ambiguity about what the numbers mean".

"What is really worrying is the low detection rate. Only 1 in 8 cases are the police catching local burglars and car thieves and only about 1 in 4 cases of violent assaults. The victims of crime do not merely suffer from crime itself but also from the frustration of knowing that the vast majority of crimes are not resolved nor criminals brought to justice".

"Part of the problem is that criminals simply disappear into London. But lack of police numbers means that a lot of traditional police work, tracking down offenders, simply isn't being done".