As the crime map www.police.uk marks its first anniversary, the NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) is providing even more information to the public about crimes and anti-social behaviour occurring in their local neighbourhoods.
“We have upgraded the website to identify crimes occurring at or near local points of interest, such as shopping areas, hospitals, night clubs, railway stations and parking areas. We are also providing information about crimes and anti-social behaviour recorded at all train stations and railway networks recorded across England and Wales.”
And from today the points on the website will relate to as few as eight postal addresses, rather than the previous threshold of 12, whilst still protecting individual identities. This is in response to public feedback for more detailed information on the crime map.
The development of the website, which is being managed jointly by the NPIA and the Home Office, has received more than 450 million hits since its launch a year ago – more than any other government website.
Assistant Chief Constable David Peacock, NPIA’s strategic lead for crime mapping, said: “Providing crime information is essential in building the public’s trust and confidence in policing, and reducing their fear of crime. Through crime mapping, forces are helping the public to better understand what is happening in their local area and reassuring them of what is being done to make their neighbourhoods safer.”
The NPIA, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice are also working on a government commitment to use www.police.uk to show what happens after a crime has occurred. By May the crime map will show what action the police took and what the criminal justice outcome was.
Police.uk – Local crime and policing information for England and Wales