First London crime map has launched

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Metropolitan Police has launched its first trial crime map for the whole of the capital city. The crime map is the first part of an initiative announced by the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in the recent policing green paper.

Combining Home Office crime data up to June this year and Google mapping technology, the maps can highlight which London boroughs have high or low crime rates.

Southwark scores worst on crime levels, which increased by more than 100 individual incidents between May and June this year. Another four of London's 32 boroughs, including Westminster and Hackney, were above the overall average crime rate across the capital in June. Seven outlying boroughs, including Richmond, all saw below-average rates of crime for London in June.

If users want more localised information, they can also get data on crimes in their neighbourhood or their postcode.

Police forces in Hampshire, Lancashire, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire are all conducting trials of their own crime maps.

The current crime map is just a test phase, with enhancement expected before the system's formal launch in September.