Latest figures show increased crime

New figures show crime is up in Chiswick against the trend in the rest of London

Notified offences rose by 12% to a total of 5066 in the year to March 2003. This compares to a 6% fall in the capital and a 12% fall in Hounslow Borough as a whole. However in the second half of the year there was a significant decrease in reports of crime in the local area.

Vehicle crime was up by 14% over the year. Part of the reason for the increase was the blitz by criminals against Volkswagen cars in the Grove Park area in September 2002. The robbers were exploiting a security weakness in the car.

Two Chiswick wards - Chiswick Homefields and Turnham Green - have the worst incidence of vehicle crime in the borough despite car ownership levels being below the borough average.

The police say that another contributory factor to the rise was opportunist burglaries last summer. PC Anthony Phillips, a local crime prevention officer said, "Many of these offences occurred because the burglar got access through a door or window that had been left open during the hot weather. This summer we managed reduce the incidence of this type of crime by raising public awareness through the Ringmaster system and messages posted on ChiswickW4.com."

Chiswick's cafe culture is leading to an increased number of robberies from people eating out. One common modus operandi is for a group of youths to approach someone at a table with a map which they appear to be asking directions from but in fact they are using it as a cover to steal a handbag or mobile phone.

The Crime Prevention unit are issuing local cafes with "Chelsea Clips" which allow people to safely hook handbags onto a table (see picture left). Coasters will also appearing soon in cafes across Chiswick warning people to watch their mobile phones and handbags.

Borough wide the clear up rate has been increasing with 15% of crime reported to the police resolved in January to March 2003 up from an earlier level of 11%.

September 10, 2003