78% Of Local Crimes Going Unsolved

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Cuts in police budget blamed for falling detecfion rate

New figures show that Merton is well below the UK average for solved crime, with 78% going unsolved.

This amounts to 10,364 unsolved crimes in Merton last year and is a drop on last year's 25%. The UK average is 27%.

Londonwide Labour Assembly Member Fiona Twycross said the figures come at a time when fewer crimes were being reported to the police and when Merton has lost 43 police officers and 45 PCSOs since May 2010.

She said: "It is shocking that overall reported crime is down, yet the number of unsolved crimes in Merton is up to 78% per cent.  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 Merton the number of PCs has been reduced by 11% and PCSOs by 46%. Boris talks about getting more bobbies on the beat but the figures clearly show this is not happening.

"This proves 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."

October 25, 2013