1) At recent meetings of the Thamesfield Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team and Pub Watch attendees have been encouraged to use the new Internet system for reporting non violent or urgent crime.

A regular breakdown of street crime statistics was formerly incorporated in the SW15 newsletter. These figures were challenged when specific crimes known to have been reported were not included, following which then, perhaps coincidentally the regular statistical reports ceased to be published in the newsletter.

Three is scepticism about the accuracy of the statistics as reported. Can you assure us that these figures are being incorporated in the Wards Crime figures?

JR: It is impossible to comment on whether an individual crime appears in a set of statistics . The crime figures used by MPS are taken from 2 sources ; crime reports that we receive directly; and the British Crime Survey

All ward statistics are available on the MPS website - http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/, which is probably the best source of information regarding crime on the Borough, and it is also searchable by Postcode

I can assure you that all reported, confirmed crime is included in the above statistics

2) I don't understand why there has been so much coverage of the recent murder of a man on Clapham Common lately on the TV news and everywhere in the media in fact but nothing at all on the murder of the man on Putney Common, why is the dead man on Putney Common deemed less newsworthy?

JR: You would have to take this issue up with the television companies concerned, because it really does come down to individual news editors and the subjects they decide to feature. The value judgements they take are very often influenced by their view on the importance of the event to the wider public. Jody Dobrowski's murder was clearly a hate crime and with previous assaults reported on Clapham Common, it was a very important story for the media to cover. We also needed the public to come forward with information about that attack and any other unreported incidents in the area. From our perspective, some crimes benefit from a media appeal so that witnesses will see them and come forward with information. Some crimes are easier to investigate without media involvement.

The Jody Dobrowski murder is now sub-judice, which means that I can't say anything further at this stage
The murder on Putney Common also occurred in Richmond Borough - so I don't know any of the details of that investigation either.

November 1, 2005