Gun crime and burglaries are on the rise in Redbridge, but drug offences and knife crime are down.  

Metropolitan Police crime statistics for the year 2016/17 show Redbridge has seen an overall increase in crime of 4.95 per cent, a trend reflected across the capital. 

There were 20 more gun crimes in the borough than the previous year (up from 58 to 78), which is an increase of 34.48 per cent. 

Redbridge also saw the number of burglaries soar from 1,999 to 2,317 (an increase of 15.91 per cent), despite them going down by 0.29 per cent across the rest of London. 

If you live in the borough you were also more likely to get your bike stolen last year, after the number of thefts increased from 153 to 191 (an increase of 24.84 per cent). 

But the Met's assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt claimed the force's 'Be safe' campaign is cracking down on residential burglaries, sntach theft, and moped-enabled crime. 

Although gun crime has seen a significant hike, the number of knife crimes in the borough fell slightly by 1.13 per cent. 

Redbridge's Met Police youth cadets launched their own video campaign called 'Choose a life not a knife' after the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Charlie Kutyauripo in Woodford Green last year. 

Assistant commissioner Hewitt said: "We are concerned about the rise of gun crime and knife crime offences committed by young people and the changing nature of the offenders.  

"Young people carrying knives are doing so for a variety of reasons including status, criminality and self-protection but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs.  

"There are complex social reasons why more young people are carrying knives and this cannot be solved by the police alone, we must work with communities to help combat knife crime."  

More encouraging was the significant decrease in drug offences, which are down 29.62 per cent from 1,249 in 2015/16 to 879 in 2016/17. 

Founder of Woodford Green's abstinence-based recovery clinic 1NE Fiona Dunwoodie said she thinks numbers are down because of recovery programmes like hers. 

She said: "Having a service that provides abstinence rather than maintenance is encouraging more drug addicts to rethink their treatment plans. 

"People are realising there's an alternative and they don't just have to be shelved on a methadone programme for years. 

"We've seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of people we help in Redbridge, with even more expected this year." 

Across the borough the number of sexual offences and robberies stayed largely the same (down from 527 to 520 and up from 637 to 640 respectively). 

Have you been a victim of crime in the borough? 

  • Email our reporter on lara.keay@london.newsquest.co.uk or ring 07768 507739