Surge in reported violent crime in Ealing


Police say new powers to issue penalty notices caused rise

Crimes of violence in Ealing Borough have increased by 12% over the last year although police claim that their ability to issue fixed penalty notices are distorting the picture. This measure and changes to the way crimes are reported may be boosting the numbers. For instance the police are now required to record each assault in a pub brawl as a separate crime as opposed to a single incident previously.

The latest British Crime Survey suggests that violent crime in the UK did fall by 10% in 2004.

Overall crime in the borough is down by 4%, mirroring the fall in the capital as a whole. Incoming Borough Commander, Colette Paul has set herself a target of a 20% reduction in crime.

There was a reduction in residential burglary over the last year but overall the borough lagged the performance of the Metropolitan Police area as a whole. The Sunday Times reported last December that Ealing Borough had the lowest detection rates for burglaries in the country.

Robbery also saw an increase, whereas it was falling in the rest of London and gun crime in the borough is also on the increase, in contrast to an overall reduction.

Ealing police did not respond to a request for a comment on these figures.

 

Reported Crime in Ealing Borough - 12 Months to Mar 2005
Ealing
Total crime
Ealing
% Change
Metropolitan
Police
% Change
Total Crimes
36,418
-4.0%
-4.3%
Homicide
8
33.3%
-7.6%
Violence Against the Person (Total)
8,009
12.0%
8.5%
Rape
77
-19.8%
-4.9%
Other Sexual
311
20.1%
10.3%
Robbery (Total)
1,565
6.2%
-4.0%
Robbery (Person)
1,476
5.8%
-1.8%
Robbery (Business)
89
14.1%
-29.6%
Burglary (Total)
4,350
-0.6%
-3.7%
Burglary Residential
2,824
-6.0%
-7.2%
Burglary Non-Residential
1,526
11.4%
2.7%
Gun Enabled Crime
175
2.3%
-7.9%
Motor Vehicle Crime
6,886
-8.8%
-14.4%
Domestic Crime
2,726
6.7%
4.6%
Racist Crime
407
-2.2%
-2.9%
Homophobic Crime
28
16.7%
8.1%

April 26, 2005