§ 33. Mr. PlaskittTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of pilot schemes to reduce street crime. [82335]
§ Mr. DenhamOn 14 October 2002, my right hon Friend the Home Secretary announced the results of the Street Crime Initiative to date. The figures show that since the start of the Initiative, street crime has fallen by 16 per cent., during the period April to September in the 10 police forces which accounted for over 80 per cent., of the robbery problem. For robbery, the more serious offence, the number of offences in September 2002 was 25 per cent, lower than March for the 10 forces as a whole.
The figures illustrate that what was an escalating trend has been reversed over the period since the launch of the Street Crime Initiative. There has been a 10 per cent, reduction (4,600) offences in the number of robberies during the period April to September compared to the same period last year.