New research shows that police are solving less crime since Boris became Mayor and that Barking & Dagenham is well below the UK average for solved crime. In Barking & Dagenham 21% were solved in 2012/13 compared to the UK average of 27 per cent. This amounts to 13,624 unsolved crimes in Barking & Dagenham in 2012/2013.
The police are also solving less crime compared to 2008/09 when Boris became Mayor. In Barking & Dagenham 23% per cent were solved whereas this year it was down to 21%.
These revelations come at a time when fewer crimes are being reported to the police and when Barking & Dagenham has lost 30% of its PCSOs since May 2010.
Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said:
“It is shocking that although overall reported crime is down, the number of unsolved crimes in Barking & Dagenham is up to 79%. Boris talks big about reported crime going down, but so far he has ignored that the number of crimes actually solved on his watch has plummeted. Compared to the average in England and Wales, London is trailing on the number of crimes solved where we should be setting the gold standard.
“Since May 2010, in Barking & Dagenham the number of PCSOs has fallen by 30%. Boris talks about getting more bobbies on the beat but the figures clearly show this is
not happening.
“This shows that Boris can’t have his cake and eat it. If you cut the police budget by as much as the Government has then there will be repercussions. Victim satisfaction in London is lower than elsewhere in the UK and this is not acceptable. The Mayor must act now.”
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