MP responds to media coverage of Dagenham burglary statistics

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MP responds to media coverage of Dagenham burglary statistics

It has recently been reported in the media that Dagenham, RM8, is the worst place for burglaries in London. Barking and Dagenham Police work very closely with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to tackle this key partnership priority, reducing burglaries and targeting offenders.

Over the past 12 months (1, January - 31 December, 2014) Dagenham has seen a 27% reduction in burglaries, down from 898 to 628 offences and is in line with a reduction in burglary across London.

Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham & Rainham commented: "The recent statistics for burglary in Dagenham were quite concerning, highlighting the need for greater investment into local policing. However when broken down, the average statistics for the parts of Dagenham that fall in my constituency show that there were 27 per cent less burglaries than the previous year. There is still work to do and although we saved the Dagenham Police Station in 2013, we still need more police on the beat to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour further. As always I want to point out how supportive and appreciative I am of the police and the important work they do to safeguard our local communities."

Across the wards mentioned in the media, namely Parsloes, Valence, Becontree, Heath, Mayesbrook and Whalebone the reduction has been 27%.

These significant achievements have happened through the hard work undertaken by the partnership. Some of the activities that have taken place are due to effective crime prevention initiatives involving:-

  • Proactive patrolling by Safer Neighbourhood Officers and Local Authority officers.
  • The Safer Homes Project delivered by Victim Support and commissioned by the council.
  • Police using Super Cocooning techniques to immediately contact those addresses in the vicinity of burglaries for reassurance.
  • The Street-a-Week campaign whereby local officers knock on every door in a particular street offering advice.
  • Crime prevention roadshows.

Superintendent Sean Wilson, from Barking and Dagenham Police, said; "I would like to reassure everyone that we are working very hard as a partnership to tackle burglary in the borough and will follow all leads to bring those offenders identified to justice."