Street-level crime maps

Access key crime and policing information, raise issues or take an active role in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.

The local crime, policing and criminal justice website was developed to provide the public with access to key crime and policing information, in a way they want and in a way that allows them to raise issues or take an active role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

The site provides helpful information about crime and policing in your area. It has also been designed to help police force staff promote street level crime maps. It is updated monthly with new data released from police forces.

Since its launch in January 2011, the website has given the public access to street-level crime and anti-social behaviour data. With over 47 million visits, and an average of 150,000 hits per day, it is one of the most popular government websites.

More criminal justice data

There’s a huge appetite for information on crime and what happens to a perpetrator. That is why the policing minister said information should be added to crime mapping website to show how offences are dealt with. Read the full story about More criminal justice data for police.uk.

Therefore, in May 2012, the website was updated to give the public the most detailed picture of crimes, and their outcomes, in their area than ever before.

Using the crime and local policing information website

When you input your postcode, town, village or street, you’ll have instant access to street-level crime maps and data, as well as details of your local policing team and beat meetings.

You will also be able to find out how the police are tackling the problems in your area, and what you can do to help. The street-level crime map identifies types of crime including:

• total crime
• burglary
• robbery
• vehicle crime
• violence 
• antisocial behaviour
• other crime

Why create street-level maps?

Police.uk is a key part of the government’s wider policing and justice reform agenda which seeks to increase the transparency and accountability of the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The police no longer look to Whitehall for their targets and priorities but rather to local communities and, from November 2012, the Police and Crime Commissioner who will represent their community. Crime maps, along with access to crime and justice data and the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners, will help the public to hold their local police and other public services to account.

Police.uk empowers the public to seek answers to the questions which matter to them most: What’s happening about the dark alley where I feel unsafe? Will the police stop the drug dealing happening in my local park? What happened after the spate of burglaries in my area? Are sentences received by local high profile offenders proportionate and intelligible? The government expects this local scrutiny and accountability to encourage an even more effective delivery of justice.

Trailblazers

Encouraging local innovation is key to the government’s approach to driving greater transparency across crime, policing and justice. Forces are running their own digital initiatives to help make crime, policing and justice more transparent. For example, Avon and Somerset Police has developed TrackMyCrime, a case-tracking system for victims. For more information visit the trailblazer section.

We’ve worked closely with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and with all 43 police forces in England and Wales to develop the Police.uk site.