More Police - Less Crime

12.00.00am GMT Wed 28th Jan 2004

The Richmond police have been given 18 new uniformed officers (9 police posts; 9 community support officers) who will be committed to the borough and cannot be abstracted for Central London duties.

This good news comes on top of excellent results on crime. In the last nine months of 2003 burglary fell by 20% (to 1283 offences) from the same period in 2002; auto crime by 29% (to 2300 offences); while there was a small 1.8% increase in street crimes (to 248 offences).

Vince Cable said, "This is a positive story. After years of under policing, particularly in the mid 1990's, numbers are getting up to a level where the police can be expected to do a proper job. There is still too much low level, anti social behaviour and vandalism and, hopefully, the new officers will provide the street presence to deter crime effectively".