Shropshire crime map reveals strange statistics

It probably won't spawn a series of CSI Shropshire but the new police crime-mapping website does reveal a shower of interesting statistics.

Whether it be the surprisingly high crime rate in Shrewsbury or the large number of anti-social crimes in Ludlow, the Big Brother approach to trouble in your street will certainly have an impact.

You might imagine the most crime-ridden Shropshire streets to feature graffiti, boarded-up homes and broken windows on their dubious list of attractions. But, perhaps surprisingly, the seemingly-genteel Shrewsbury town centre street, Hills Lane, was in an unwanted second place.

So why is the level of crime so high?

And why is Shrewsbury - with a crime rate of 12.08 (the number of crimes per 1,000 people) - leaving places like Manchester (10.66), Liverpool (6.26) and Cardiff (5.35) trailing in its wake?

Abdul Husen is as perplexed as most when I tell him that the road his business, Cafe Saffron, sits on is Shrewsbury's trouble hot-spot.

"There's no trouble in the area," he says.

"We are open from 6pm to midnight and I have never seen any trouble. I have never even see anyone drop an empty crisp packet on the floor.

"I'm not sure where they have got these figures from. It must be people late at night but the Hills Lane Community is a very close community and I have not heard of any trouble from anyone."

Abdul fears for the after-effects of the map. "It might spur people on," he adds. "I think it's a bad idea because people will be able to see what damage they are doing and it will also affect businesses in the area.

"People looking at the map aren't going to come down here if they think there is a lot of trouble and that is definitely a concern."

Perhaps one person qualified to speak on the subject is Councillor Phil Norton - who in his guise as representative for Newport Town Council and Lilleshall, Muxton and Donnington Council - has first-hand experience of four areas.

He says: "I think the map is a good idea. We need to see where we have problems and where we have to look at areas. It's not just about the police, local partnerships have to know where there is trouble and some of that has to come out council funding.

"Hopefully it can have an effect. In Newport especially you can see from the map where there are areas of just no trouble and that is brilliant recognition for the police."

Donnington Wood Way, which divides Muxton and Donnington, is an example of the work Councillor Norton wants to see.

He adds: "Donnington has high depravation and that breeds anti-social behaviour and crime and we need to put money into that to try and resolve it.

"The police do a great job there and I work closely with them to try and eradicate problems.

"Donnington has suffered through that, really, and we need some money in there.

"The path needs re-doing and we have tried to do that because things like that cause anti-social behaviour. Street lighting is another thing we want to keep going because if it's dark then people will tend to congregate in groups and there will be more trouble.

"If the map can highlight that sort of thing then it will be a huge benefit."

Estate agents are warning of dipping prices while landlords will also be affected by the map, warn industry experts.

Landlord Assist, the nationwide eviction specialist and rent collection firm, said it would have a damaging impact on landlords in the buy-to-let sector while Nick Tart, who runs his own firm in the county based in Ludlow, was also bracing himself for a backlash.

He says: "Crime figures will influence people's buying decisions and that may have an adverse effect on values in certain areas where there is high crime.''

Brookside certainly falls into that category - and Bishopdale in particular.

The road comes out as the worst in Shropshire for crime with Brookside's two Telford & Wrekin borough councillors hoping the facts and figures will finally lead to some investment. Police said statistics which focused on just one month were not reflective of the entire year.

Chris Ammonds, spokesman for Telford police said: "Our Local Policing Team work hard in Brookside and the area has improved greatly in recent times.

"We acknowledge that there are still problems but we will continue to work with partner agencies such as Telford & Wrekin Council to address these.

"Officers from Telford's Territorial Policing Unit analyse statistics and crime figures from right across the borough but are always careful not to focus too intently on any single month because that could present extreme results which don't, in fact, give a true reflection of crime levels across a longer period.

"We do however look at reasons why there might have been a sudden spike in crime or anti-social behaviour — during the school holidays for example - so that we can address any new issues that arise." Borough councillor George Ashcroft, said: "Brookside has long been neglected.

"About four years ago there was a report commissioned by the council which said that it would be a no-go area and it is fast becoming that.

"If we had some regeneration it would go a long way to showing the people of Brookside that people cared."

But his fellow councillor John Dixon says things are picking up in the estate.

He said: "The CSOs and the police are working hard and we have regular meetings about the problems.

"There are some very active groups in the area who are doing everything they can to help."

But Councillor Dixon admits that Bishopdale was one area that needed targeting.

"We're trying to really get at the kids and people who can change. We won't change some people because they don't want the help but we want to do what we can with the youth and other families in the area."

Case Study 1: Norbroom Park area, Newport

Shropshire has hundreds of streets where no crime has taken place at all in December, but in one corner of Newport that figure comes as a pleasant surprise to the community.

When a skate park was proposed and built in the Norbroom Park area of town many residents complained about the prospect of crime saying the move would mean more teenagers hanging around the residential streets and causing problems.

Indeed shortly after the park opened residents said crime had increased in the area, levelling under-age drinking, fighting and drug taking as the main charges.

But it would appear, at least from the statistics available on the crime mapping website, that the area is crime-free.

Not only is Vineyard Road, the road closest to the skate park, a crime-free zone, but all the surrounding roads are also free from trouble.

And that has pleased Marc Simpson, committee chairman of the Newport Sk8 & Ride group who got the park running.

He said: "It's very encouraging to see these low crime figures particularly because there were fears when the skate park was built that it was going to be a crime haven.

"It goes to show that a sense of self preservation means that young people will look after the place."

Mr Simpson said the low crime figures were a just reward for the hard work of the group, town police and the community.

"We have tried as best we can to ensure the area is kept crime free.

"We have a police officer on our committee and I think that makes a great difference. We've got a lot of councillors and police officers involved in community groups across Newport, and that will only help keep crime figures down."

Case Study 2: Bishopdale in Brookside, Telford

So what is it like to live in Shropshire's most crime-ridden street?

Bishopdale in Brookside saw 27 crimes registered in December - more than any other street in the county.

And when the two people happy to speak to you about the area's problems do so on the proviso that their names aren't printed it begins to tell its own story.

"I don't make any enemies because I have a family," said one resident.

"If I shout my mouth off at people then they might come back when I'm not here and firebomb my house and then I've lost half my family.

"There will be someone on one part of the estate dealing drugs and then if you go a few hundred yards there will be someone else doing it. There is a bit more trouble with people who have had a drink as well but it's not too bad for us. If people have got enemies then it is a huge problem.

"There is usually a crowd of people, perhaps 15 or 20 people aged about 18 to 20, who gather and that is just intimidating for other people. A lot of people do it for the reputation. The new police site might just encourage that. People will be able to see it and think they can get the number higher."

A female neighbour, a resident of Bishopdale for three years, agreed the new crime-mapping website could lead to higher figures - if anyone logged on to read it.

She said: "It's got a lot to do with reputation but I don't know if people who cause trouble will look at the website.

"There's a few people that hang around on the streets who cause a problem but they don't come after us.

"I've lived here for three years and I'm not looking to move. I knew what it was like when I came here but it isn't that bad.

"The only thing we really suffer with is people nicking our fence panels."

Special report by Alex James