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Robbery and Theft: Carshalton and Wallington
20 February 2024
Lead MP
Elliot Colburn
Responding Minister
Chris Philp
Tags
Policing & ResourcesCrime & Law EnforcementEmploymentBusiness & Trade
Word Count: 3572
Other Contributors: 2
At a Glance
Elliot Colburn raised concerns about robbery and theft: carshalton and wallington in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The hon. Member asks for reassurance from the Minister that every report of a theft or burglary should be attended by the police and encourages people to make official reports if they are victims of crime. He also inquires about the work the Home Office is doing with the Metropolitan Police to address issues where the Mayor is not taking his responsibilities seriously.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The hon. Member is concerned about the high rates of robbery and theft in his constituency, with London recording 32,000 robberies and 430,000 thefts for the year ending September 2023. There have been recent incidents involving car break-ins, Asian gold theft targeting Indian and Tamil communities, and shoplifting on local high streets. The hon. Member notes that reports of crime are often shared on social media instead of being officially reported to the police, leading to reporting fatigue.
Gordon Henderson
Con
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
The hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey noted that the Liberal Democrats were in coalition with the Conservative Government for five years during which police officer numbers reduced, but now there are 3,666 more officers on London streets than ever before.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
She highlighted the issue of criminals acting with impunity due to a lack of police officers, pointing out that cuts under the Conservative Government have led to high abstraction rates in Sutton at 25% in the last quarter of the previous year. She questioned what measures are being taken to increase police presence on streets not only in Carshalton and Wallington but also in her own constituency.
Government Response
Chris Philp
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the second time in an afternoon, Mrs Latham. Let me start by congratulating my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour the Member for Carshalton and Wallington on securing this debate on such an important topic. The crime survey for England and Wales shows that overall crime has declined since 2010 by 55%, while violence is down by 51%, criminal damage by 72%, theft offences by 46%, theft from the person by 40%, and vehicle-related theft by 39%. We have delivered record police numbers, about 3,500 more than in 2010. London could have had an extra thousand officers, but Sadiq Khan failed to recruit them. The Met's performance is the worst among all 43 forces due to missed recruitment targets and poor clear-up rates. We have agreements with police to follow all lines of inquiry for crimes where evidence exists, including shop theft, and run images through facial recognition databases. Targeting prolific offenders leads to significant reductions in crime. Live facial recognition trials in Croydon town centre led to over 50 arrests, including multiple rapes cases. This system is available for deployment in other areas such as Carshalton or Wallington.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.