§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mobile phone related crimes were reported in Belfast from March 2001 to March 2002. [49901]
§ Jane KennedyUnfortunately data for mobile phone related crimes are not available at the moment. PSNI collection of crime data is undergoing development work which will allow such offences to be identified in future.
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§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of(a) theft, (b) robbery and (c) shoplifting in Belfast city centre were reported over the period March 2001 to March 2002. [49899]
§ Jane KennedyUnfortunately statistics for the period January to March 2002 are not yet available. The figures for the incidents of(a) theft, (b) robbery and (c) shoplifting reported in Belfast city centre for the period April 2001 to December 2001 are as follows:
April 2001 to December 2001 Offence type Number of incidents reported Theft 2,676 Robbery 158 Shoplifting 834
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent action in Belfast to implement strategies in place in UK city centres on combating crime, with special reference to theft in Belfast city centre. [49898]
§ Jane KennedyThe police service of Northern Ireland have a number of on-going and new crime prevention initiatives specifically aimed at reducing thefts in Belfast city centre which reflect best practice procedures in comparable UK cities. Most of these initiatives involve close partnerships with Belfast city centre management along with other agencies. They include:
Radio link
100 retailers in the city centre area have direct radio links to the police and there are plans to introduce similar systems in other parts of the city. This scheme is supplemented by retail theft training which provides staff with a training package on, among other things, theft reduction strategies and powers of arrest.Mobile phone theft
There is an on-going initiative to educate the public to mark their mobile phones with postcode and house number.Thumbs-up
This is a new initiative to be launched in May with the aim of reducing credit card/cheque fraud.Local police continue to provide crime prevention surveys and advice. A recent prevention campaign targeted computer theft through leaflet distribution and press releases. Vehicle theft is being addressed through targeted campaigns such as the 'Look, Lock and Leave' initiative where advice signs will be erected in every car park in the city centre.