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Met puts neighbourhood crime maps on the Net
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent15 Aug 2008
Maps revealing the number of muggings, burglaries and vehicle breakins in particular neighbourhoods are published by Scotland Yard today.
The Met is running tests on its website of the Google-style maps, which show crime rate in areas of 600 or so householders.
People can see crime levels on a borough-by-borough basis or zoom in on wards and then "sub-wards". Areas have classifications ranging from low to average and high.
An Evening Standard survey of the site showed Southwark was the only borough with a "high" crime rate classification, with 850 offences in June, compared with 749 the previous month.
Westminster, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Newham all registered as above average. The scheme also gives a rate of crimes per thousand of population.
Last month Home Secretary Jacqui Smith unveiled plans for crime maps to be published across Britain, prompting claims that she had taken the idea from Mayor Boris Johnson who had pledged to introduce them in London in his manifesto.
Police in London said the software was being tested and they would welcome public feedback. There are concerns the maps could breach crime victims' right to privacy and affect house prices.
Crime maps have been fully developed in the US, particularly in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, where police departments show incidents down to a house-to-house level.
A police source said: "There are difficulties with the Information Commissioner who has raised concerns about breaching people's privacy. It is unlikely we will see maps as detailed as you get in Los Angeles but we expect the scheme to expand. This is really a test to see if the technology works."
