XN000022-1983-11-10 — Page 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1963

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HE SAID THAT THE HON LYDIA DUNN RIGHTLY LINKED +VAST AND IMPERSONAL HOUSING ESTATES+ WITH THE DEPLORABLE INCREASE IN CRIME+.

+BUT I DON'T THINK THIS LINK IS JUST CAUSED BY THE BREAK UP OF LONG ESTABLISHED DISTRICT COMMUNITIES. I WOULD GUESS THAT AN EQUALLY TELLING FACTOR IS THAT MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS ARE EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT TO POLICE, HE SAID.

+THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THESE DIFFICULTIES AS FAR AS PUBLIC HOUSING IS CONCERNED,

OUT.

HE POINTED

HE REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS CONSULTING THE POLICE ON THE LAYOUT OF ESTATES AND ITS ARCHITECTS NOW INCLUDED IN THE DESIGN OF INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS AS MANY MEASURES AS THEY COULD TO REDUCE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIMINALS.

+FOR EXAMPLE, THEY PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE LIGHTING OF PUBLIC PLACES AND ARE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE IN PUBLIC AREAS ALCOVES WHERE CRIMINALS CAN HIDE.

+MAYBE THESE PRACTICES CAN BE DEVELOPED AND EXTENDED INTO, SAY, A CODE OF PRACTICE FOR ARCHITECTS GENERALLY. WE WILL BE ASKING THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THIS POSSIBILITY, + MR JEAFFRESON SAID.

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT, HE REPORTED THAT THE POLICE COMMISSIONER MADE EVERY EFFORT TO INTRODUCE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING INTO ESTATES AS SOON AS NEW TENANTS BEGAN TO MOVE IN.

+THERE ARE ALREADY SIGNS THAT THESE EFFORTS, COUPLED WITH THE GREATLY IMPROVED DESIGN OF OUR NEW ESTATES, INCORPORATING A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, ARE SUCCEEDING.

+OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, OVERALL REPORTED CRIME PER 100 000 OF THE POPULATION WAS 40 PER CENT LESS IN OUR NEWER PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES THAN IN THE OLDER ONES. A SIMILAR COMPARISON FOR SERIOUS ASSAULTS SHOWED A DIFFERENCE OF 52 PER CENT, HE POINTED OUT.

THE INTRODUCTION OF +CRIME INFORMATION FORMS+, WHICH ARE NOW EVEN AVAILABLE IN MANY BANKS AS WELL AS IN ALL DISTRICT OFFICES AND POST OFFICES, HAD ALSO HELPED, HE SAID,

MR JEAFFRESON TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT NEXT WEEK, THE POLICE WOULD START A SURVEY OF 2 000 CRIME VICTIMS TO FIND OUT WHETHER THEY HAD ANY CRITICISMS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS SO THAT FURTHER REF INEMENTS COULD BE INTRODUCED.

+EVEN IN THESE DAYS OF AUSTERITY, WE WILL BE FIGHTING TO GET ADDITIONAL POSTS FOR THE POLICE INTO NEXT YEAR'S ESTIMATES TO ENSURE THAT LEVELS OF POLICING APPROPRIATE TO THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES THE POLICE HAVE TO RESPOND TO ARE MAINTAINED, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE POLICE WERE ALSO EMBARKING ON SEVERAL TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR EFFICIENCY.

ON CRIME PROBLEMS INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT ONE EXAMPLE OF DEALING WITH THEM WAS THE LIAISON THE POLICE WAS MAINTAINING WITH THE MANY VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE YOUNG.

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