Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Robbery and Theft: Carshalton and Wallington

20 February 2024 · 2 other contributors · 3,572 words

Opened by Elliot Colburn Con Carshalton and Wallington

Responding minister: Chris Philp

Crime & Law Enforcement

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Elliot Colburn raised concerns about robbery and theft: carshalton and wallington in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington is concerned about high rates of robbery and theft in his constituency, noting recent incidents including car break-ins and targeted Asian gold theft.
  • The hon. Member expresses concern that crime reports are often shared on social media rather than being officially reported to the police.
  • The hon. Member asks the government to ensure that every report of theft or burglary is attended by the police and encourages victims to make official reports.

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.

Opened the debate

Elliot Colburn Con Carshalton and Wallington

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.

Other contributors (2)
  • 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

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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