CONTRARY to the national trend of increasing crime figures released last week, north Kent Police celebrated a massive cut in crime.

Between April 2001 and March 2002 the national level of crime reported to police increased by seven per cent. But north Kent police saw reported crime fall by 5.5 per cent, with vehicle crime being slashed by nine per cent and detection rates up by nearly two per cent.

Area commander Superintendent David Pryer said the results showed the benefits of intelligence-led policing in the area, which has been developed by Kent Police since the 1990s.

He said: "We are very pleased but we are never complacent because success doesn't mean the problem has gone away.

"What we are trying to do is make sure people are safe in their homes and safe to walk the streets. To do this we must keep in close contact with the public."

He added thefts from vehicles remained high and the public needed to keep valuables hidden away to prevent their car being broken into.

Violent crime remained stable, decreasing by only 0.1 per cent, which the area commander said was not as low as he would have liked, despite the national trend being an increase of 11 per cent.

Violent crime, which includes mobile phone muggings and physical attacks on the streets, will remain a priority by north Kent police.

Over the next year officers will target north Kent's town centres and alcohol-related crime. They will look at preventative measures, such as educating young people about having their mobile phones stolen.

North Kent police's success falls in line with the rest of Kent's police force, with the county's recorded crime down by six per cent. Burglaries were reduced by nine per cent and even violent crime was tackled successfully with a five per cent reduction.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike Bowron said: "Kent is safer today than it was five years ago and is considerably safer than other areas in the south east and the rest of England and Wales."

lbrinicombe@london.newsquest.co.uk

RECORD DROP AT COMPLEX

CRIME figures dropped by a record number, as detection rates soared to unprecedented levels, in Bluewater last month.

In the most successful month so far, June saw crime being slashed by 84 per cent compared to June 2001.

Police also solved nearly all crimes at the shopping complex, with 94 per cent of all criminals being caught.

Bluewater general manager Paul Lucchinelli said: "This is an outstanding achievement resulting from the partnership we have with Kent police."

Since the centre opened three years ago, Kent police have worked with Bluewater to fight crime, with at least a dozen police officers on patrol from their on-site police station.

Training retail and security staff to be on the look out for crime, installing 400 CCTV cameras and introducing measures including a thumbprint signature scheme to counter credit card fraud have helped stem crime.

Police spokesman PC Andy Clubb said: "We will continue to look at improving the methods we use and look for other ways we can ensure the environment remains a safe one."

Bluewater crime figures, which have always been below the national average, fell by more than a fifth, with a 62 per cent drop in credit card fraud.

July 16, 2002 12:30