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| Street-level crime maps launched online | Street-level crime maps launched online |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| New online crime maps for England and Wales have been launched, allowing users to see which offences have been reported in their local streets. | New online crime maps for England and Wales have been launched, allowing users to see which offences have been reported in their local streets. |
| Home Secretary Theresa May said the maps would give real facts and make police more accountable. | Home Secretary Theresa May said the maps would give real facts and make police more accountable. |
| The public can search for information on crime and anti-social behaviour by entering a street name or postcode. | The public can search for information on crime and anti-social behaviour by entering a street name or postcode. |
| Some people have had problems accessing the website, href="http://www.police.uk/" >www.police.co.uk. A minister said there had been heavy use. | |
| Policing Minister Nick Herbert told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the website had been receiving 75,000 hits per minute. | |
| A spokesman for charity Victim Support said it was important that victims of crime had consented as to whether information about their incident was released. | |
| Meanwhile, Mrs May said she expected the public reaction to be positive and denied the information could increase fear or drive down house prices in some areas. | |
| Visitors to the website, which cost £300,000 to develop, will be able to find out which crimes have taken place on or near their street within the past month and which officers are responsible for their area. | Visitors to the website, which cost £300,000 to develop, will be able to find out which crimes have taken place on or near their street within the past month and which officers are responsible for their area. |
| Information on crime is broken down into six categories - burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, violence, other crime and anti-social behaviour. Sex crimes have been included in the "other" category, along with crimes such as theft and shoplifting, to help prevent victims from being identified. | Information on crime is broken down into six categories - burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, violence, other crime and anti-social behaviour. Sex crimes have been included in the "other" category, along with crimes such as theft and shoplifting, to help prevent victims from being identified. |
| Local police appeals and details of police community meetings will also be published alongside the maps. | Local police appeals and details of police community meetings will also be published alongside the maps. |
| The website provides more detail, down to street-level, than existing online crime maps provided by forces in England and Wales. | The website provides more detail, down to street-level, than existing online crime maps provided by forces in England and Wales. |
| Crime trends will also be established as the site develops and could be extended to include details on the outcomes of court cases, or a system for individual victims to track the progress of their case online. | Crime trends will also be established as the site develops and could be extended to include details on the outcomes of court cases, or a system for individual victims to track the progress of their case online. |
| The government said the site was an important part of its "transparency agenda", making the data available in an open format so that communities could use it to "help people engage with the police in a meaningful way". | The government said the site was an important part of its "transparency agenda", making the data available in an open format so that communities could use it to "help people engage with the police in a meaningful way". |
| Mrs May said: "I think people are going to welcome the fact they can really see what's happening with crime in their area, not just on their street but in their neighbourhood. | Mrs May said: "I think people are going to welcome the fact they can really see what's happening with crime in their area, not just on their street but in their neighbourhood. |
| "I think they will feel a greater connection with the police, with much more information about where they can go to, and who they can work with." | "I think they will feel a greater connection with the police, with much more information about where they can go to, and who they can work with." |
| She said the project would help tackle crime "over time". | She said the project would help tackle crime "over time". |
| System 'confusing' | System 'confusing' |
| On house prices the home secretary said they were not affected by "the existence of a map on a website". | On house prices the home secretary said they were not affected by "the existence of a map on a website". |
| "This is giving people a real tool, real power to see that something is being done about crime in their area. This doesn't make them frightened, it actually makes them feel a part of what is happening. | "This is giving people a real tool, real power to see that something is being done about crime in their area. This doesn't make them frightened, it actually makes them feel a part of what is happening. |
| "This will give them the real facts and figures. This will make the police more accountable. It gives people a real tool to hold the police to account." | "This will give them the real facts and figures. This will make the police more accountable. It gives people a real tool to hold the police to account." |
| Policing Minister Nick Herbert also insisted that the more detailed information would not increase the fear of crime, adding: "We can't sweep crime under the carpet." | Policing Minister Nick Herbert also insisted that the more detailed information would not increase the fear of crime, adding: "We can't sweep crime under the carpet." |
| Streets with fewer than 12 houses will only be included in a wider geographic area to prevent identification of victims. | Streets with fewer than 12 houses will only be included in a wider geographic area to prevent identification of victims. |
| Victim Support said victims' privacy should be protected, but that enough information should be given to the public "for them to be able to hold the police and criminal justice system to account". | Victim Support said victims' privacy should be protected, but that enough information should be given to the public "for them to be able to hold the police and criminal justice system to account". |
| "Victims and witnesses of crime often tell us that the criminal justice system can be confusing and unwieldy. This recommendation to publish fuller information has the potential to bring greater transparency to the workings of the criminal justice system for victims, witnesses and the public." | "Victims and witnesses of crime often tell us that the criminal justice system can be confusing and unwieldy. This recommendation to publish fuller information has the potential to bring greater transparency to the workings of the criminal justice system for victims, witnesses and the public." |
| BBC News programmes would like to speak to victims of crime about these maps, if you are interested in speaking to us about this please complete the form below remembering to leave your phone number. | BBC News programmes would like to speak to victims of crime about these maps, if you are interested in speaking to us about this please complete the form below remembering to leave your phone number. |
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