Our most recent residents’ survey asked you what factors are most important in making somewhere a good place to live: 68 per cent of residents said feeling safe and being safe from anti-social behaviour was most important.

Working in Partnership

The Council worked in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, the Primary Care Trust, the Probation, Fire, Courts and Crown Prosecution Services and local voluntary sector organisations to deliver the following improvements:

• Overall crime fell by nearly 16 per cent over the previous year from 14,753 to 12,401 offences.
• Violent crime fell by nearly 9 per cent from 23.4 crimes per 1,000 population to 21.3 per 1,000, the eighth lowest level in London. Violent crime includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
• The number of incidents of robbery fell by over 30 per cent from 1,487 to 1,035.
• Domestic burglaries fell by over seven per cent from 21.53 per 1,000 households to 19.94 per 1,000.
• The number of vehicle crimes fell by over 15 per cent from 18.19 per 1000 population to 15.37 per 1000.
• The number of racist incidents reported rose from 131.6 per 100,000 population to 146.9.  We have actively encouraged reporting of racist incidents by opening 25 third party reporting sites in 2007/08 to make it easier to report hate crimes.

Despite falls in actual crime, fear of crime rose in some areas. 

• 56 per cent of those surveyed believed that drug use and drug dealing is a big or very big problem in Redbridge. There have been some high profile closures of licensed premises and clamping down on drugs in the Borough that may have raised people’s perception of drugs problems.
• Crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport, and the fear if it, are important issues for local residents. In response, a new Safer Transport Team was introduced, which patrols on and around the bus network.