Appendix B

 

The Reduction of Recorded

Crime and Disorder

 

 

Crime figures are based on financial years (1st April to 31st March) and over the last 3 full years the crime on the Isle of Wight fell by 16.9% (1998/99:10,577 to 2000/01:8,792). Although crime has fallen there are still three areas of concern: -

 

·        Domestic Burglary rose by 8.9%

·        Assaults by 22.6%

·        Criminal Damage by 3.5%

 

These three offences will be targeted during this 3-year strategy.

 

During the current year (2001/02) crime looks as if it has started to rise again, to an estimated 10,000 but with targeted policing, Domestic Burglaries and Assaults have started to fall. Criminal damage, unfortunately, is still rising and accounts for 25% of all recorded crime.   Action must be taken to reduce recorded crime and to that end the overall target will be to reduce recorded crime by 2% year on year.

 

The fear of crime is usually disproportionate to the actual risk of crime, the lower the risk the higher the fear. The Crime and Disorder Partnership will endeavour to inform the community regularly about the actual level of crime and how relatively safe the Island is. A contributory factor to the fear of crime is the built environment with narrow alleys, unnecessary footpaths (providing access to and from properties for burglary and damage) or premises that attract problems through design or usage, all that can be addressed at the design stage. The Crime & Disorder Team, through the Architectural Liaison Officer, will make comments on appropriate developments to the planning department for consideration to try and ensure that mistakes of the past are not repeated.

 

Findings

 

MORI Poll

 

In an Island based MORI poll in 2001, the main priorities for the Crime and Disorder Partnership to consider were: -

 

Domestic Burglary                            (73%)

Anti-Social Behaviour                       (71%)

Drugs                                                  (68%)

Violence against the person            (67%)

Criminal Damage                             (64%)

 

All these areas are included in the Strategy.

 

Police

 

Vehicle crime is a national problem but does not figure as high on the Island. Nationally vehicle crime accounts for 24% of all crime, on the Island, over the last three years, it has accounted for 9.1%. This does not mean it will be ignored but puts the problem into perspective.

 

Statistics show that the 3-year trend of all recorded crime is down

 

                                                1998/1999      1999/2000      2000/2001      Trend

 

However the 3-year trend of the following recorded crimes is up: -

 

                                                1998/1999      1999/2000      2000/2001      Trend

 

Isle of Wight Council

 

The cost of Criminal Damage against the Isle of Wight Council Property (Buildings) has increased.  The cost of repairing damage has risen from £18,987 in 1998/1999 to an estimated £35,000 for the current year, 2001/2002 (84%). These costs relate specifically to buildings and their immediate curtilage excluding parks, gardens, harbours, beach huts and other concessions. It is noticeable that the vast majority of vandalism occurs in or around public conveniences, conversely, schools report little or no criminal damage.

 

Abandoned vehicles 1998/99   1999/00   2000/01   2001/02(est.)

 

Reported                                423           635          761          1120

Seized                                    118           252          221          322

 

This shows that the workload has risen by 165% since April 1998 for reported vehicles and 172% for seized vehicles.

 

Compare

 

Crime rates of ‘Violence against the person’ per 1,000 population

 

England and Wales              11.9                Isle of Wight                           9.8

 

Crime rate of ‘Dwelling Burglary’ per 1,000 population

 

England and Wales              18.3                Isle of Wight                           9.3

 

Crime rate of ‘Theft from a motor vehicle’ per 1,000 population

 

England and Wales              11.9                Isle of Wight                           4.2

 

Crime rate of ‘Theft of a motor vehicle’ per 1,000 population

 

England and Wales              6.4                   Isle of Wight                           1.5

 

 

Cost of crime

 

Isle of Wight

 

Violence against the person                        £24,497,944

Sexual Offences                                            £  1,455,454

Robbery                                                         £     123,240

Dwelling Burglary                                          £  1,176,240

Theft of a motor vehicle                                £     932,960

Theft from a motor vehicle                            £     309,140

TOTAL                                                           £28,494,978

 

Based on crime figures for April 2000 to March 2001

Estimates have been calculated using Home Office Research Study 217 ‘The Economic and Social Costs of Crime’.

 

 

Examples of Good Practice on the Isle of Wight

 

Foreign Students

 

Following foreign press coverage that Ryde, Isle of Wight was worse than Los Angeles for crime on visiting foreign students (not borne out by actual recorded crime figures), Operation Columbus was instigated by the Police and the Youth and Community section of the Isle of Wight Council. There was meetings with the companies organising the visits, targeted police patrols, talks to the students and outreach work by local trained staff and Finnish Youth Workers. Crime did reduce and to ensure the level stays low the initiative will continue.

 

CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)

 

Public CCTV, monitored in the CCTV Control Room, now covers Newport and Ryde Town Centres with Sandown Town Centre/Esplanade, St Mary’s Hospital and an extension to Newport is likely to coming on stream during 2002. The Partnership has bid for the capital costs from the Government and has been successful in attracting over £800,000. Independent research has shown that CCTV has reduced crime and the Control Room has been granted a national Gold Award for the last two years to reflect its excellent work.  

 

 

 

 

Isle of Wight Objectives

 

·        To reduce anti-social behaviour

 

Targets

(Based on 52,000 households and a population of 128,000)

 

Recorded Crime (Figures per 1,000 population)

 

National

Isle of Wight data

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight data

 

 

 

April 2002 to March 2003

 

2%

reduction

 

2001/2002 (estimate)

78.7 crimes

 

2002/2003 (target)

77.2 crimes

 

 

Dwelling Burglary (Figures per 1,000 households)

 

National

Isle of Wight data

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight data

 

10% to 40% reduction

by

March 2004

(based on 1999/2000 figures)

 

1999/2000 (actual) 10.1 burglaries

 

2003/2004 (target)

6.1 to 9.1 burglaries

 

April 2002 to March 2003

 

5%

reduction

 

2001/2002 (estimate)

8.9 burglaries

 

2002/2003 (target)

8.5 burglaries

 

 

Vehicle Crime (Figures per 1,000 population)

 

National

Isle of Wight data

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight data

 

30%

reduction

by March 2004

(based on 1999/2000 figures)

 

1999/2000 (actual)

6.6 crimes

 

2003/2004 (target)

4.6 crimes

 

April 2002 to March 2003

 

9%

reduction

 

2001/2002 (estimate) 6.4 crimes

 

2002/2003 (target)

6 crimes

 

 

 

 

Violent Crime (Figures per 1,000 population)

 

National

Isle of Wight data

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight data

 

 

 

 

April 2002 to March 2003

 

4.1%

reduction

 

 

2001/2002 (estimate)

6.8 assaults

 

2002/2003 (target)

6.5 assaults

 

 

Crime Detection Rates

 

National

Isle of Wight data

Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight data

 

 

 

April 2002 to

March 2003

 

Increase rates

 

 

 

2001/2002 (estimate)

35% all crime

20% domestic burglary

79% violent crime

14% vehicle crime

63% racially aggravated crime

 

2002/2003 (target)

40% all crime

25% domestic burglary

82% violent crime

15% vehicle crime

65% racially aggravated crimes

 

 

 

Anti-Social Behaviour

 

Anti-Social Behaviour destroys lives and shatters communities. It is a widespread problem but its effects are often most damaging in communities that are already fragile. If left unchecked it can lead to neighbourhood decline with people moving away and tenants abandoning housing. It can seriously damage the quality of life of vulnerable people through the fear of crime and the long-term effects of victimisation. Almost 25% of crime victims still report emotional problems 6 months after the event. The longer the anti-social behaviour continues, the more chance of long-term damage to the sufferer’s well being. It also incurs costs to a wide range of people including individuals and families, schools, local authorities, social landlords and business.

 

Reducing anti-social behaviour is seen as an important element of improving the quality of life for people and under Section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 the Police and Local Authorities can apply to a Magistrates Court for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) if it appears that any person aged 10 years or over has acted in a manner that caused or was likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as his or herself, and an anti-social behaviour order is necessary to protect persons in the area in which anti-social behaviour was caused.

 

Magistrates are able to make ASBO’s that specify the precise nature of the behaviour that is to be stopped. There is no limit to the length of time an Order may remain in force; however, there is a minimum period of 2 years. A breach of an ASBO is a criminal offence, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, a fine or both. 

 

Under reporting hampers successfully measuring anti-social behaviour. Many victims do not report incidences of anti-social behaviour.  The Isle of Wight Crime & Disorder Partnership will encourage the public to report anti-social behaviour incidents so that a true record can be recorded