Crime Mapping and Performance
CRIME MAPS
The National Policing Improvement Agency introduced the Crime Mapper website in 2009. The latest version shows crime and anti social behaviour at street level and includes; street maps, Safer Neighbourhood team contact details, information on local meetings and crime prevention advice. The maps are updated monthly and can be accessed via the link below
HMIC – VALUING THE POLICE INSPECTION REPORT – JULY 2011
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) published their national thematic on police preparedness for the budgets reductions. HM Inspector of Constabulary for the Eastern Region, Zoe Billingham is quoted as saying “The required savings represent a read challenge but Hertfordshire Constabulary is a high performing organisation which has achieved sustained crime reductions over a five year period as well as significant efficiencies. This means it is well-placed to meet the latest challenge. The force and authority’s plan to make savings through an ambitious collaboration programme with Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire is a welcomed and positive step. So too is the commitment to protect neighbourhood policing which remains such a priority for local people” A copy of this and other HMIC reports can be found on HMIC’s website via the following link http://www.hmic.gov.uk/PUBLICATIONS/Pages/home.aspx
HOME OFFICE CRIME STATISTICS
The Home Office publishes crime statistics on a quarterly basis. The updates present a both a summary and detailed statistics from two sources; Police recorded crime numbers and incidents reported in the British Crime Survey (BCS) – a survey of approximately 44,000 members of the public. The bulletins contain links to detailed reports on various categories of crime as well as confidence levels for Hertfordshire and each of the other 42 forces in England and Wales.
The latest bulletin for the year ending September 2011 notes an estimated 9.6 million crimes measured by BCS which was not statistically different from the previous year. During the same period there were just over 4 million crimes recorded by the police – a four percent decrease on the previous year.
BCS surveys show change in the level of burglaries compared to the previous year whereas police recorded figures show a continued 4% decrease.
Both sources provide some evidence of increases in lower-level theft offences. BCS violent crime showed no statistically significant change compared with the previous year and Police recorded violence against the person fell by 8% in the same period.
The most recent bulletins can be viewed via the links below.
Home Office Bulletin 01/12 to September 2011 (Adobe PDF 544KB)
Home Office Bulletin 16/11 to June 2011 (Adobe PDF 354KB)
Home Office Bulletin 10/11 to April 2011 (Adobe PDF 1667KB)
Home Office Bulletin 06/11 to December 2010 (Adobe PDF 164KB)
PERFORMANCE REPORT TO END OF DECEMBER 2011
The following is Hertfordshire Police Authority’s assessment of the Constabulary’s current performance.
The Police Performance reporting cycle runs from April to March each year. Overall crime levels in Hertfordshire remain at their lowest level in the last five years while detection rates have increased over the same period.
Home Burglary, Robbery and Vehicle crime levels are all below the levels recorded last year*. Burglary, Serious Violent Crime and Vehicle Crime detection rates have increased while Robbery detections have fallen slightly. Shoplifting crime levels have also fallen and detections have increased.
There was a small increase in Serious Sex Offences compared to last year,* the detection rate is also slightly higher than last year*.
The overall level of reported Anti Social Behaviour incidents is well below last years levels * and the force continues to work with partner organisations in this area.
Total Crime recorded in Hertfordshire has fallen by over 2,543 crimes between April to December when compared to the same period last year*. Hertfordshire remains top position in its MSF** with a level of crime that is 1.6% points below the average for the group. Hertfordshire was also top of its group for the detection of crime, with a rate of 35.1%. This is higher than the MSF average detection rate of 28.5%.
350 Home Burglary offences were recorded across the county in December, 56 more than in December last year. Hertfordshire’s position in its MSF** group has dropped to 4th place. The force has dropped to 3rd in group for detections with an above average detection rate of 21.2%. Burglaries from garages, sheds and business premises have decreased by 172 offences, between April and December, when compared to last year*.
The number of Distraction Burglaries fell by 33.3% compared to last year* with 62 crimes being committed across the county from April to December this year, compared to 93 for the same time last year.
There were 60 Robberies recorded across the county in December, 5 more than in December 2010. Hertfordshire has deteriorated from 3rd to joint 4th MSF** position in group with a below average level of crime. The Force deteriorated to 4th place MSF** for detections with a rate of 26% which is higher than the average detection rate.
572 Vehicle Crimes were recorded in the county this month. This type of crime is on the increase in Hertfordshire and nationally, as the increase in the price of precious metals has fuelled an increase in the theft of catalytic converters. There has also been an increase in theft of vehicles. Hertfordshire remains 5th place in its MSF** with a slightly above average level of crime and improved to 2nd in group for detections of vehicle crime.
Shoplifting offences have reduced by 6.2% (equivalent to 301 offences) across the county this year* when compared to the same period last year*. Hertfordshire remains 1st in its MSF** group with a below average level of crime, and improved to 2nd in MSF** for detections with an above average rate of 64.0% compared to a group average of 54.9%.
There were 31 Serious Violent Crimes recorded across the county in December making 237 for the year to date*. This was 10 fewer crimes than in the same period last year*. Hertfordshire has remains 1st its MSF** group with significantly below average levels of crime and 2nd in group for detections with a rate of 58%.
There were 33 Serious Sex Offences recorded in December which was 3 less offences than in December 2010. Hertfordshire has improved to 1st in its MSF** group with significantly low levels of crime and remains 3rd its MSF** with a detection rate of 32.6% which was slightly above average for the group.
There were 354 Domestic Violence related crimes recorded in December, 39 more recorded than in December last year. However there 88 fewer crimes year to date* compared to last year. The detection rate at 55% is equivalent to last year rate. The Home Office do not publish peer group comparisons for this category of crime.
There were 3028 incidents linked to Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) reported in December – 27% less than December last year.
Last updated: 24 January 2012
*Reporting periods – crime and detection figures are usually reported as ‘month’; meaning a comparison of the current month to the same month last year, or ‘year’; meaning April 2011 to the current month this year compared to April 2010 to the same month last year.
**MSF - Most Similar Force which is a group of police forces defined by the Home Office with similar socio-demographic characteristics to Hertfordshire. The grouping enables us to put performance into context by allowing like-with-like comparisons. The other forces in our MSF are; Bedfordshire, Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Avon & Somerset and Thames Valley. Rankings for recorded crimes are usually based on 3 month rolling number of crimes per 1,000 population. Detection rates are usually based on a rolling 12 month percentage.
***Policing Plan - the Authority publishes a Policing Plan each year at the end of March. This sets out the key priorities and targets for the Constabulary in the following three years. The plan referred to above for the period 2011-2014 can be found on the Policing Plan page.
****CSP - Community Safety Partnership previously known as CDRP - these are the 10 district and borough council areas within the county.
Please refer to the Glossary for explanations of terminology used in Constabulary and Police Authority reports.
Glossary (Word doc 702KB)