According to an official Home Office statement, communities will also start to see incidents that occurred on (or near) a range of additional local sites including shopping areas, nightclubs, hospitals, parks and parking areas.
Nick Herbert, the Government minister for policing and criminal justice, explained: “Our crime mapping website is continuing to evolve and revolutionise the way people access crime data. The public appetite is clear, with 453 million hits to the website since its launch. We have listened to public demand for even more detailed information.”
Herbert continued: “Information is power, and crime mapping helps transfer power back to local people. Together with the election of Police and Crime Commissioners later this year, we are helping the public to hold local forces to account.”
From May 2012 the public will also be able to use police.uk to see what happens after a crime has occurred in terms of a police action or a justice outcome.
ACPO’s lead on crime information, deputy chief constable Neil Rhodes, said: “Providing crime mapping information to members of the public assists awareness of how the police service is working to reduce crime and disorder in communities and helps reduce the fear of crime. In those areas where crime is occurring, mapping offers encouragement to the public to support the police with information and remain watchful when appropriate.”
Rhodes continued: “Through the work of the National Policing Improvement Agency, the upgrade of the existing website will provide the public with even greater access to important information about crimes occurring in their local area and, in particular, provide an ability to identify crimes occurring at or near local points of interest, such as shopping areas, airports, railway stations, parking areas and night clubs.”
Rhodes is adamant that generating this information is essential to building trust and confidence in policing by giving local communities direct and easy access to information which pinpoints what is occurring in their local neighbourhoods.
“By using crime mapping,” he said, “forces will continue to work hard to provide the public with more information to help them understand what is happening in their area and reassure them of what is being done to make them safer.”
Government acts against metal thieves
Cash payments for scrap metal will be banned and penalties increased, the Home Secretary Theresa May has announced, as the Government steps up its action against the growing menace of metal theft.
In a statement to Parliament, the Home Secretary said the Government intends to lay an urgent amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to:
- create a new criminal offence to prohibit cash payments to purchase scrap metal
- significantly increase the fines for all offences under the existing Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 that regulates the scrap metal recycling industry
The Home Secretary said: “People who deal in stolen metal are criminals, pure and simple. Their activities are bringing misery to individuals and communities as well as damaging our economy.”
May went on to state: “We’re putting a stop to cash payments and we’re imposing unlimited penalties on anyone who breaks the law. This Government will do what it takes to protect the public, business and our national heritage from the scourge of metal theft.”
Anonymous, low risk transactions
Cash transactions for scrap metal are often completed without any proof of personal identification or proof that the individual legitimately owns the metal being sold. This leads to anonymous, low risk transactions for those individuals who steal metal.
In addition, the widespread use of cash facilitates poor record keeping by the metal recycling industry, and can also support tax evasion activity.
The Government’s announcement follows the commitment outlined in the National Infrastructure Plan published in November last year where the Tory-Lib Dem coalition announced a GB pound 5 million ‘war chest’ to establish a dedicated metal theft taskforce that will actively enhance law enforcement activity in this area.
These amendments are part of wider plans to tackle all stages in the illegal trading of stolen scrap metal.
The Government has stated that further measures to crack down on rogue dealers will be outlined in due course.