Capital Crime in Decline?

New statistics released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that burglaries in London have decreased by 2.4 percent since last year. Although these rates have been on the decline since the mid-1970s, this drop was higher than in recent years, and higher than in the rest of England and Wales.

These figures emerge following the launch of Operation Bumblebee by the Metropolitan Police last year, in which officers aimed to prevent burglars escaping capture by crossing county lines. The operation saw the continued spread of MetTrace, a liquid marker which allows stolen items to be traced to their owner. The development of new police technologies like this is one of the reasons for this continued decline.

Lewisham resident Danny Moyce was one citizen targeted by burglars over the holiday period. Although the police did not catch those responsible for the loss of his laptop and a portable speaker, Danny says that he appreciated their advice: “At least the Met have been quite good at telling people what to do to avoid burglary, like hiding valuables and the packaging for expensive items.”

Total crime in the Met area has increased in the last year, but this rise has been far smaller than that seen in the rest of England and Wales.

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