CRIME levels in north Kent look to be improving faster than the rest of the county according to annual figures from the Kent Police Authority (KPA).

Statistics released by the authority prior to a meeting to discuss police performance show for some targets the boroughs of Dartford and Gravesham performed well.

However, the figures released do not allow for a full picture of the area’s performance because a complete breakdown of performance against targets is not included — detailed Home Office statistics are expected in July. The KPA figures show vehicle crime, including theft of and from motor vehicles, in north Kent dropped by 0.2 per cent, while it rose by one per cent for the county as a whole.

This improvement is being put down to the success of Operation Goggle, the intelligence-led three-month campaign targeting burglary and vehicle crime.

Incidents of violence in north Kent have also bucked the trend, increasing just 1.6 per cent against a 16 per cent rise countywide.

A disappointing increase in violent crime at the start of the year, which ran from April 2002 to March 2003, was turned around by Operation Grinch.

From October last year this initiative tackled violence crime and disorder in Gravesend and Dartford town centres with extra patrols, stop and search and strategic road blocks.

Finally Gravesend led the county in reducing child casualties on the roads after cutting the number of deaths from 52 to 17, a drop of 67.3 per cent.

Area commander Superintendent Martin Hewitt said: “Any crime statistics must be read in context. The figures presented for north Kent in 2002/03 represent a significant recovery on the position as it stood at the mid-point in that year.

“North Kent will continue to strive to improve performance across the range of reported crime and to deal effectively with changes to recording methods that periodically emerge from the Home Office.”