Violence is down by 40% and burglary is down by 55%. However, there has been a rise in theft from a person. This statistic refers to offences such as pick pocketing or handbag snatching and can be very problematic in busy city centres although in Brighton the incidence of this crime has also fallen..

There has also been a perceived increase in anti-social behaviour giving people reason to fear the imminence of more serious crime. Ironically the move to more serious crime would probably result in a more speedy removal of he offender (see previous article in Knowledgebase). In Brighton the use of on-street security patrols funded by the Business Improvement District (BID) has helped to make shoppers and workers feel safer.

BID security patrol making people feel safer

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker has promised to keep on top of crime and said, “Record numbers of police already have the flexibility and resources to tackle local crime priorities and ensure that we can help to keep crime down."