04a JSNA Appendix , item 5. PDF 6 MB - Lambeth Council

DRAFT
high crime partnership areas in England 66 and within the top 3 high crime
boroughs in London.
• Since April 2005, success in reducing crime has been measured using a
basket of British Crime Survey (BCS) comparator crimes PSA1 67 . Lambeth
is within the 3 top high crime boroughs in London on its level of PSA1 crime
but has achieved a 30% reduction in the 3 years to 2007/08. This abovetarget
reduction was the 3rd highest percentage decrease in the
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) area over that period.
• In comparison with the neighbouring boroughs of Wandsworth and
Southwark in 2006/07, Lambeth has the highest cost of estimated crime of
all 3 boroughs at £310.5m. However, of the 3 boroughs Lambeth has
enjoyed the greatest reductions in cost over the 3 year period to 2006/07
(£42m reduction).
• Although murder accounts for a very small percentage of Total Notifiable
Offences (TNOs), Lambeth is currently ranked highest on a count basis of
the 31 London boroughs. Lambeth had 23 murders in 2007/08, up from 15
in 2006/07.
• Lambeth has the highest levels in its CRDP family 68 of robbery (both
personal and business) but has seen an encouraging 15% reduction in
personal robbery since 2003/04.
• Lambeth has the highest level of recorded rape offences in its CRDP family
but has seen a very significant 23.5% reduction in recorded offences in
2006/07 when compared with 2002/03.
• A 19% decrease was achieved in Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) offences in
2007/08 compared with the previous year. Lambeth is currently ranked 4 th
highest of the London boroughs on a count basis for GBH.
• Lambeth saw a decrease of 6.8% in Gun-enabled crime in 2007/08 when
compared with the previous year. The borough is ranked second highest of
the CRDP family on a count basis.
• Drug and alcohol misuse are seen as the key ‘drivers’ that lie behind much
crime and fear of crime in the borough. More residents in Lambeth see
drugs as a significant problem than the London average and drugs appear
to be easily available, particularly in open, street based markets such as
Brixton. More than 70% of arrests in Brixton are for possession or supply of
cannabis. The links between drugs and violent and acquisitive crime is well
established and 48% of arrests in Lambeth in 2006/7 were for drug related
offences.
• A quarter of Lambeth’s population is estimated to drink excessively and it is
thought that the borough has higher levels of alcohol related hospital
admissions than the average for London or England 69 . Links between
alcohol and domestic violence are well known, though links with other
violent crime types in Lambeth is less clear. It is likely that alcohol can
exacerbate incidents of violent crime such as stranger violence, mugging
rape and MPS believe that robbery victims in entertainment and transport
66 The areas with the highest rates of recorded crime per head of population plus the highest crime levels
(each being given equal weight) as measured using the BCS comparator in 2003/04.
67 PSA1 consists of Robbery of Personal Property, Burglary dwelling, Theft of motor vehicle, Theft from motor
vehicle, Motor vehicle interference & tampering, Theft person – snatch, Theft person – pick pocket, BCS
wounding, BCS criminal damage, BCS common assault, Theft of pedal cycle.
68 CRDP family comprise Brent, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey,
Hounslow, Islington, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth.
69 Lambeth Alcohol Needs Assessment 2006/07
Lambeth JSNA – Preliminary Assessment
Version 4
October 2008
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