The world’s first crime mapping service, which launched with a whimper at the start of the week, could damage house prices as buyers are put off potentially dangerous area.

The Police.uk website which publishes details of the number of crimes committed on British streets each month, crashed repeatedly on Monday in the face of 18 million hits and hour as curious curtain-twicthers logged on to find out how safe their neighbourhood is.

The service has been roundly criticised by commentators pointing out that the data will stigmatise areas with apparently high numbers of crimes and incidents of anti-social behaviour making them more of a no-go area than they are already.

David Dalby, a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Director, said that the raw data provided by the site could also have a detrimental effect on property prices: “RICS welcomes any improved consumer information which allows homebuyers to make more informed decisions. However, taken out of context these crime statistics could have an effect on house prices.

“It’s also worth remembering that information about local levels of crime is already available through environmental searches commissioned by conveyancers as part of the buying process, but only forms one of a huge number of factors taken into account by consumers when deciding where to live.”

Andrew Turner, Head of Residential Agency at Smiths Gore, said: “While it is unlikely that the publication of crime statistics will deal a blow to the property market, property valuations are likely to come under increasing scrutiny with the introduction of the crime map. While we wholeheartedly agree that crime and anti-social behaviour cannot be swept under the carpet, surveyors are waiting to see if the crime map will impact on valuations to lenders.

“The value of properties in the middle to upper tier of the market already reflect the calibre of the neighbourhood, however, it is likely that estate agents dealing with property at the lower end of the market will only want to draw a purchaser’s attention to the crime map scoring if it is favourable.

“It is more likely to impact on towns where proximity is key compared with the rural property market where crime rates are generally lower and therefore could be a great resource for buyers looking to relocate to different towns and cities.”

Writing in the Guardian earlier this week, Daniel Bear is a PhD candidate studying street level policing in London at LSE, said: “While undoubtedly a powerful tool, the primary debate surrounding the new map has been whether it is helpful or harmful. In particular, critics have focused on the potential of the map to decimate home values in areas labelled as problematic. This is a legitimate concern for homeowners.”

Similar Posts:

Share