Scotland Yard’s electronic Crime Mapping system is powered by Google Maps.

Detailed maps which reveal the number of burglaries, robberies and vehicle break-ins in London neighbourhoods have been published online for the first time.

Scotland Yard’s electronic Crime Mapping system is powered by Google Maps, and allows users to obtain detailed information on the number, rate and geographical location of certain crime types using a post code search facility.

Crime levels can be viewed on a borough basis whilst users can also zoom in on wards and then further into sub wards. Levels of crime are colour coded and defined as either ‘high’, ‘above average’, ‘average’, ‘below average’ and ‘low’.

Southwark – with 850 crimes recorded in June 2008 – currently displays the highest figures and is the only borough with the ‘high’ classification. Richmond Upon Thames comes out as the safest borough with 169 incidents and is classed as ‘below average’. No boroughs are currently in the ‘low’ classification.

The scheme has been launched following the success of West Yorkshire Police Authority’s pioneering website: www.beatcrime.info

The anti-crime website was the first to present the British public with local, up-to-date crime information on a map, and has been hugely popular with users.

Scotland Yard’s version of the scheme is currently in test format at: http://maps.met.police.uk and users are invited to leave detailed feedback on the site’s usability.

It is planned for official launch in September 2008 once the test phase and technical review have been completed, and will sit alongside the crime statistics published monthly on a ward, borough and pan-London basis.

It is hoped it will lead the way for a detailed UK-wide system, the plans for which are currently being worked on by Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.

By Natasha Piscitelli