UK to get online crime maps

By OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT

London

July 30: With more and more incidents of teenage crime and gun and knife crimes being reported in Britain, home secretary Jacqui Smith said every neighbourhood in England and Wales will have access to the latest local crime information through new interactive crime maps.

Every police force by the end of the year 2008 will produce crime maps which will allow people to see where and when crime has happened, down to the street level; make comparisons with other areas; and learn how crime is being tackled.

"The public are the best weapon for fighting crime. By rolling out up-to-date, interactive crime maps we can better inform people about crime problems in their area and enable them to have much more of a say in what their local police focus on. This will help increase public confidence in the police and make communities safer," Ms Smith said.

The polices forces in Hampshire, Lancashire and West Yorkshire along with the West Midlands are currently leading on crime maps and other forces are preparing to introduce them in 2008. The interactive crime maps follow the announcement by the home secretary that every police force in the country will now deliver monthly crime information.