The Metropolitan Police are hailing new crime statistics which they say mark a 'spectacular success' in the fight against crime.

Crime levels in Wandsworth Borough fell by over 7% over the last year well above the London wide fall of 1.8%. Nearly ever category of crime was down will a marginal increase in gun crime being the only real disappointment.

Key Successes in Wandsworth

• Use of retired detectives to investigate fraudulent robbery allegations
• Estabishment of Anti-Social Behaviour Office in partnership with Council producing Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
• Street crime reduced by 16%, Burglary reduced by 19% and Motor Vehicle crime reduced by almost 6%
• Police Community Contact Centre at Tooting Islamic Centre celebrates 5000th visitor

Senior police officers were claiming that they have turned the tide against crime in London. 'Put this all together and it adds up to the most successful period in many years,' said Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair. 'Overall crime for the last year has been reduced by 1.8% which translates into 20,000 fewer offences and the trends for this year are also looking very positive. It can be no co-incidence that the MPS are achieving these historic results in the year that London has had a significant increase in the number of police officers - now up to more than 30,200 and with the added strength of more than 1400 Police Community Support Officers.

The results were praised by Labour candidate for the London Assembly, Seema Malhotra. Seema said, "The success reflected in these figures is the direct result of deliberately tough and testing targets set by the MPA, the big increase in police numbers, effective community and borough-based partnerships, and the unstinting effort put in by police officers".

"The introduction of Police Community Support Officers is also starting to make a real difference in deterring nuisance and anti-social crimes. I'm confident that we'll see greater improvements across the board as dedicated police teams are introduced under the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative."

Across London, burglary is down 7.1 per cent to a 29 year low, auto-crime down 7.1 per cent and there has been a 4.2 per cent reduction in street crime offences.

Seema Malhotra continued "There are more police in London than ever before thanks to the work of Ken Livingstone and the London Assembly. These figures show that our investment in the Metropolitan Police is paying dividends."

	Apr 2003 - Mar 2004		Apr 2002 - Mar 2003
	Wandsworth	MPS Total	Wandsworth	MPS Total
Total Crimes	33,567	1,060,930	36,204	1,080,741
Homicide	2	211	6	195
Robbery	1,574	40,640	1,788	42,496
Street Crime	1,970	56,455	2,345	58,929
Burglary (Total)	3,664	105,361	4,547	113,427
Burglary Residential	2,575	67,996	3,087	72,237
Burglary Non-Residential	1,089	37,365	1,460	41,190
Gun Crime	106	3,576	105	3,862
Vehicle Crime	7,119	225,610	7,569	242,843
Sexual Offences	344	10,200	368	10,427
Violence Against the Person (Total)	5,336	186,188	5,354	178,802
Grievous Bodily Harm	135	4,908	166	4,935
Actual Bodily Harm	1,136	38,219	1,209	37,342
Common Assault	2,474	88,093	2,447	86,728
Possession of an Offensive Weapon	241	8,758	243	8,340
Harassment	1,072	33,591	965	30,940
Other Violence	276	12,415	318	10,328