Wandsworth retains lowest crime level in inner London
Crime in Wandsworth has fallen 30.5 per cent compared to 2005 and by just under 14 per cent since 2010. With 833 fewer victims of crime last year compared to 2013/14 and 3,500 fewer compared to 2005.
Wandsworth has retained its position as the inner London borough with the lowest crime levels with recorded offences down by nearly a third compared to a decade ago.
Over the past 12 months the borough has seen further significant reductions in robbery, residential burglary and thefts from cars.
Total reported crime levels were down by nearly four per cent last year compared with the previous one, a significantly better result than the London average which recorded only a 0.3 per cent fall. This means there were 833 fewer victims of crime in Wandsworth last year compared to 2013/14, and 3,500 fewer compared to 2010.
The council’s community safety spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: “These numbers show that the work being done locally to tackle crime is delivering really positive results for residents and local businesses. Crime has fallen by 30 per cent since 2005 which is a fantastic achievement, but we are not in any way complacent about this - we need to continue building on this success and continue bearing down on crime and criminality.
“Our local police deserve huge amounts of credit for the sterling work they have done in confronting criminal behaviour. Residents and businesses can rest assured that the council will continue to play its role in supporting those efforts to keep Wandsworth inner London’s safest borough.”
The latest crime figures show that robberies were down by 40 per cent compared to the previous 12 months, while houseMarch 20, 2015n-domestic burglaries, which cover break-ins at commercial premises like shops, offices and warehouses and also places like garden sheds, saw a 13.6 per cent reduction. Thefts from vehicles also fell sharply year on year, down 15.5 per cent.
Success in tackling crime is reflected in survey data which shows that a majority of local residents feel that the borough is safer than it was three years ago.
A study involving nearly 1,600 Wandsworth residents found that 55 per cent felt the borough was a safer place compared to 2012 while 42 per cent agreed that there was “less trouble generally” compared to only 18 per cent who disagreed.
The proportion of residents who said they felt safe after dark was 71 per cent while 79 per cent felt the police were doing a good job tackling crime with 69 per cent saying the same thing about the council.
March 19, 2015