‘Hotspot policing’ tactic extended after cutting crime by 73 per cent

“HOTSPOT policing” is to be expanded to more than a third of forces after the tactic was found to reduce violent crime by more than 70 per cent.

Eighteen police forces will share £4.2 million of Home Office funding so they can target “crime hotspots” with officers in high-visibility jackets.

The trials in Essex cut violent crime by 73.5 per cent in 20 areas targeted by police. Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, said: “People want police officers visible on their streets, stopping violence and protecting people from harm and exploitation.

“That is what our smart new approach to hotspot policing does and I am delighted to see the tactic is already reducing high-harm crime in some areas and look forward to this success being replicated in other towns and cities across the country.” Developed by Essex Police, the tactic puts regular, intensive, high-visibility foot patrols into areas that are at risk of serious violence.

Police data analysis will inform which areas are most at risk of violent crime and where patrols should be targeted.

Trialled in Southend-on-sea in 2020, the tactic resulted in a 73.5 per cent fall in violent crime and a 31.9 per cent fall in street crime in the 20 highest crime hotspots on days when patrols visited, compared with days they did not. Other trials have shown similar results – a recent hotspot operation by Bedfordshire Police across 21 neighbourhoods saw harm from serious violence down 44 per cent on patrol days.

The additional £4.2 million will bring the total funding given to those 18 forces to tackle serious violence to £28.6million in 2021.

Det Ch Insp Lewis Basford of Essex Police, who designed the hotspot policy as part of his Master’s degree in Criminology at Cambridge University, said he was “thrilled” at its expansion.

“This is simply police doing high-visibility policing.

“It’s nothing new, but it does get results. I’m thrilled that police forces across the country are being given extra funds to continue this approach,” he said.

“We’re committed to tackling violent crime in Essex, and we know that one of the main factors of this type of crime in our county is the sale of drugs and the impact that has on our communities.

“Our Op Raptor teams, which tackle street and drugs gangs, made 272 arrests in the first six months of 2021, and we’ll continue to arrest the perpetrators of these cowardly, destructive crimes.”

The 18 forces are the Metropolitan Police, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Northumbria, Thames Valley, Lancashire, Essex, Avon and Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire, Kent and South Wales.