Key Points
- Barking and Dagenham Police say neighbourhood offences have fallen by more than 6% over the past 12 months.
- The borough’s latest crime update also shows reductions in burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, knife-enabled crime and violence with injury.
- The figures were shared at the Safer Neighbourhood Board’s annual open meeting in Barking and Dagenham.
- Superintendent David Rhodes presented the update to residents at Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club.
- The council said residents should keep reporting concerns so resources can be focused on local priorities.
- The council also encouraged people to join the Women’s Safety Forum by emailing [email protected].
uk/local/barking-dagenham/">Barking and Dagenham (East London Times) April 15, 2026 — Police say targeted neighbourhood work has helped reduce crime across the borough, with several offence types falling over the past year.
As reported by the Barking and Dagenham council news team on the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham website, Superintendent David Rhodes told residents at the Safer Neighbourhood Board annual open meeting that the borough had seen a series of declines across key categories. The meeting took place at Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club and brought together police, councillors and community groups.
The council said neighbourhood offences, which include robbery, burglary and motor vehicle crime, are down by over 6%. It also said burglary fell by 15.7%, robbery by 13.2%, theft of motor vehicle by 4.8%, theft from motor vehicle by 17.8%, violence with injury by 20.7%, knife-enabled crime by 12.3%, and total incidents attended by 7%.
Which offences fell the most?
The strongest reduction in the published figures was violence with injury, which fell by 20.7%. Theft from motor vehicle also recorded a notable fall of 17.8%, while burglary dropped by 15.7%. Robbery was down 13.2% and knife-enabled crime fell by 12.3%.
The council’s update presents the changes as part of a wider neighbourhood policing effort rather than a single operation. It said local officers have continued to focus on what residents say matters most, with the message that reporting concerns helps police prioritise resources more effectively. The update also pointed residents towards the council’s community safety partnership information and the Women’s Safety Forum.
How is targeted policing being used?
The published update suggests the borough’s approach has been centred on neighbourhood policing, partnership work and focused use of resources. The council said local community groups are working to get young people into positive activities, which was mentioned alongside the police update at the residents’ meeting.
Earlier council strategy material also shows that Barking and Dagenham has been using hotspot targeting, with resources directed to key locations such as Barking Town Centre and Dagenham Heathway at peak days and times. That document also links the broader borough approach to offender management and partnership work with outreach providers, youth services, social services and probation. In that context, the new figures appear to fit a longer-term pattern of concentrating policing effort where offences are most likely to occur.
What did local leaders say?
Councillor Syed Ghani, the council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said it was good to see residents attending the Safer Neighbourhood Board and showing an active interest in the borough, according to the council report. The council said residents were encouraged to stay in touch with police and report concerns so that issues in the community can be better understood.
The council’s published account does not present the reductions as a finished result, but as part of ongoing work. It also points to continued community engagement through the Safer Neighbourhood Board and related safety forums. That suggests the borough sees public reporting and partnership meetings as part of the policing model, not just the final stage of it.
Why does reporting matter here?
The council specifically asked residents to report their concerns so police can prioritise resources and understand local issues better. That matters because targeted policing depends on accurate information about where and when crime is happening. Without resident reports, officers may have less useful data to guide patrols and prevention work.
The message from the borough’s update is that crime reduction is being tied to shared responsibility between police, council and the public. Residents were also directed to contact [email protected] about the Women’s Safety Forum, which indicates that the council is still seeking wider community engagement around safety.
Background of the development
Barking and Dagenham has been working for some time on a broader community safety approach that includes hotspot policing, offender management and partnership action. The borough’s serious violence strategy says enforcement resources are directed to key locations at peak times, reflecting an attempt to match police presence with patterns of offending. That strategy also highlights collaboration with youth services, social services and probation to reduce reoffending and address the causes of crime.
More recent council reporting has continued to frame policing progress through crime reductions and community meetings. In March 2025, the Safer Neighbourhood Board meeting featured police figures showing year-on-year falls in several major crime categories. That sits alongside wider council efforts to present crime prevention as a mix of visible policing, local partnerships and resident engagement.
What could this mean for residents?
For residents, the reported reductions may mean a slightly lower day-to-day risk in the offences the borough has highlighted, especially burglary, robbery and vehicle crime. It could also increase confidence in neighbourhood policing if the downward trend continues over time. However, the council’s own message shows that progress still depends on residents reporting problems and helping police identify local hot spots.
For the wider audience in Barking and Dagenham, the main impact is likely to be practical rather than dramatic. If targeted patrols and partnership work remain consistent, the borough may keep seeing pressure on the offences named in the update. If reporting falls or crime patterns shift, police may need to adjust their focus to different locations or offence types.
