Crime maps for the public in every police force

Crime maps for the public in every police force

[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4141644/Crime-maps-for-the-public-in-every-police-force.html]www.telegraph.co.uk[ /url]

For the first time, any resident can see exactly what offences or crime patterns are prevalent on their doorstep by going on online.

But rank and file police leaders warned the maps will be of more use to criminals to identify target areas while charted surveyors have warned it could lead to house prices falling in the worst hit areas.

The maps will vary from force to force but most show key offences such as burglary, robbery, violence, car crime and anti-social behaviour and allow the public to see how close they are committed to homes, schools or cash points.

The charts also show how areas compare with the average and some forces detail crime statistics right down to individual streets

(visit the link for the full news article)

Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It could lead to some areas being given a bad name, and as it says effect house prices, on the otherhand, it would be useful to know what areas to avoid, especially around cashpoints.

Some areas such as London are even able to report non-urgent crimes online. This could then beg the question if this is the start of an Online Police Department. Maybe its an experimental move towards a paperless policeforce?? One of the biggest prolems have is paperwork. To me it makes sense for them to take this step although it would kind of take the reassurance that the police presence has when dealing with them in person for many people, especially the elderly.



[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4141644/Crime-maps-for-the-public-in-every-police-force.html]www.telegraph.co.uk[ /url]
(visit the link for the full news article)

I could not say if this will be a good or bad thing either, and I cant see how this idea will be beneficial to anyone other than scaring people who can do nothing about the crime situation.

Anyone see the benefits?

Regards S_G

Here's the link:

Crime maps

If accurate, good for research and trends, etc.

Could be a good thing, say you have to stay in an unfamiliar city and you have to rent a room, you kinda what to know where you will be walking at night.

I once worked with some young south Africans up in London, it was their first contract over here and it was up to them to find a house to rent between them, we were working all over and they would be asking about different areas

- I'll never forger they almost chose a very notoriously rough area - it didn't look too tatty or any thing but nearly every house had bars on the windows... Cos they were from SA they thought that ment a GOOD area!! places with bars had stuff worth knicking and hence everyone had a bit of money!!!.... Errr no! places where all the property's have bars in inner London basically stay clear if at all possible! They will rob you at knife point for your pack of smokes

Just checked my area... very little detail, all it really says is below average and average for burglary. Room for improvement over my way all your burgers! (shouldn't tempt fate)

[edit on 7/1/2009 by Now_Then]

As far as the UK is concerned it is only England and Wales. In Scotland the public objected and won. Dont mess with the Scots


Respects

Myself and everyone I know is aware which areas are high crime etc in my city. So I doubt this would do anything other than confirm what people have always known.

If anything, it may inspire residence to put pressure on their local governments to tighten up on law enforcement - harder sentencing etc.

I give it a

It really doesn't matter where you live, there's crime all over the world, the fact that people want to advertise the fact that their rich or well off ( by wearing lots of gold, driving around in a fancy car, buying a really big house) , you might as well put upa sign saying " please mug me or burgle my house".

These sort of maps will only serve to insult the people who live in the 'high crime areas'. They hate the police as it is so why not wave a red flag infront of them too?.
People won't want to go to those areas incase they get mugged, the local business's will suffer and close, then people will turn to crime because they haven't any jobs.

Besides for example Brixton in London, I knew people there that were lovely , but also some that weren't, My wife got mugged there and when she asked the police to do something they said they couldn't, as the council wouldn't let them use the CCTV cameras for fear of persecution by the community as apparently the cameras would show that certain community members were responble for most of the crime in the area.
What a crock of Poop.

So instead of making lovely colourful maps that show the 'hotspots' and wasting taxpayers money in doing them , why not actually use the money for the community by spending it on something useful like community centre's for teens to teach them respect for each other and that gang culture is a waste of time?.