London Embarks on Online Crime Maps

London Embarks on Online Crime Maps

London has made history and became the very first major city in Britain to furnish crime data through online mapping service. The scheme was launched by Mayor Boris Johnson on September 3 hoping to provide the public with a much clearer view of how crimes operate in the city.


Through the mapping service, the rates of particular types of crime are showed using a color-coded guide comparable to Google Map.  The system is based on a widely used service in the US.  The Information Commissioner's Office has supported the release of the crime maps, though it cautioned the Met not to deliver data which shows the specific location of offenses as this would violate the Data Protection Act.