Taxi Driver Online

The Evening Standard (London)

August 3, 2006 Thursday

HEADLINE: 'Dixons Of Dock Green' help police slash crime

BYLINE: JUSTIN DAVENPORT; KEN HYDER

BEAT bobbies are reverting to the tactics of Dixon Of Dock Green in a 21st century fight against crime.

Local policing teams in London are returning to traditional patrolling skills and using local knowledge to take on criminals. Police claim the tactics are proving very successful.

The Safer Neighbourhood units, with between four and six police and police community support officers, are now in all London's 630 wards.


"When we introduced these teams we found they were achieving lower levels of crime than in other wards, while people felt safer. We have given a commitment we will not take these officers away. Safer Neighbourhoods constitutes a fundamental change in the way we deliver policing."

Police highlighted examples of the teams' successes: In Deptford officers investigated a series of assaults on women by minicab drivers. A constable went out in plain clothes to check taxi touts in the area and identified five, who were arrested. Three turned out to be wanted for sex offences, including attacks on women passengers.
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