Westminster bearing even bigger brunt of capital crime than before

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

Crime in a central London has doubled in two years, costing the local authority £371m, according to a council report.

The document, published by the Safer Westminster Partnership, found 10 per cent of all crime committed across the capital took place in Westminster – up from 5 per cent two years ago.

The partnership, which includes Westminster City council, the Met Police, the London Fire Brigade and the Probation Service, among others, said there were on average 216 crimes a day recorded in the central London borough, up from 196 a year ago. The majority of these – 60 per cent – were theft offences with many happening in the West End or St James’s at night.

The report read: “The thriving West End night time economy is a driver for a large local drugs market, of which recreational drug users contribute to the drugs demand. This demand fuels organised crime, including child criminal exploitation. Reducing demand must be encouraged to reduce the adverse consequences of drug abuse for individuals and society at large.”

Police found sexual offences made up a small portion of recorded crime but are “one of the most harmful”. Their research found 54 per cent of victims of all crime were female and were far more likely to be victims of sexual offences and theft.

It found males were more likely to be victims of robbery and vehicle offences. Nearly two-thirds of victims were aged between 18 and 39.

They also found 87 per cent of those accused of crime were male. They said caution had to be exercised with this data point due to low detection rates.

The report, which covers crime across London between October 2022 and September 2023, was presented to Westminster City’s overview and scrutiny committee. Councillors will meet this week to discuss its findings.

The review, which happens yearly, found Westminster City recorded more than 90,000 criminal offences, more than double the next highest borough.

They found the cost of crime in Westminster is estimated to be £371m – an increase of £56 million from 12 months earlier. The council also noted four separate domestic homicide reviews currently underway, which it said was more than it had in the previous 5-10 years.

Despite increasing crime, nearly all residents surveyed felt safe in the area they live. However, feelings of safety after dark have reduced from 82 per cent to 74 per cent, and this was most notable for women.

The council launched the Night Stars volunteer scheme and the “It’s Her City Too” campaign to improve women’s safety on its streets. These schemes are helping women get home safety during a night out and tackling sexual harassment. It has also launched women’s safety training and opened safe havens.

A new wave of movable CCTV cameras has also been launched by the council to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area. Westminster City is also giving authorities more money to tackle the issue of personal robbery.

Council leader Adam Hug said: “Anti-social behaviour and crime in our communities blights the lives of residents across Westminster and as a council we want to do what we can to help tackle it.

“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham on this new CCTV camera network, which will help keep an eye on ASB hotspots in local communities across the Westminster. The footage will also assist the police in identifying wrongdoers and provide the evidence to support work to design out crime.

“The safety of our residents is the council’s top priority, and we want to play our part in helping keep our streets safer and to ensure that residents feel more secure in their own homes.”

Picture: Pixabay/Paul Steuber