Crime mapping website publishes police performance data

The police.uk crime information website has been upgraded to enable people to compare the performance of their local police with that of the other forces in England and Wales. The Home Office said the public will now be able to look up performance categories, including crime rates, quality of service and victim satisfaction. They can also access information on offences of public disorder and possession of weapons, shoplifting, criminal damage and arson, theft and drugs recorded on every street. According to the department, communities will be able to look up levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in their area and use the information to hold their local police, and in time their elected police and crime commissioner, to account. Nick Herbert, minister for policing and justice, said: that police.uk had attracted phenomenal interest since its launch earlier this year, with more than 430m hits to date. "The addition of further crime categories and easy access to police force performance data will give people the information and power they need to hold their local forces to account and ensure that crime in their area is driven down," he said. Plans for further additions to the site include more specific crime and anti-social behaviour information about key locations such as football stadiums, parks and supermarkets. The British Transport Police will have input into the site so that the public can access information about crime rates at railway stations. People will also be able to use police.uk to see what has happened after a crime has been reported and to track its progress through the criminal justice system. This article is published by Guardian Professional. For updates on public sector IT, join the Government Computing Network here.