It will only scare people when they find they are in or near an allegedly high-crime area. But then this government loves health scares, crime scares, alcohol scares, school scares.... I could go on.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Has no one ever heard of Google Map mashups? It's basically a way to use Google Maps to do this sort of thing, without all the need to reinvent what's bound to be an inferior version of the wheel...

Here's an example: http://mcpa.on.ca/crimeIncidents.html

Hari Karam Singh, London, London

This reminds me of Booth's 19th century maps of "criminal London". So, have we progressed since then?

Jillita, London,

I think you should all show every detail and every exact location of every crime. Doesn't the public have a right to know the details. Why place a fuzzyiness around the data. You could even let the public click on a specific crime and get the details. It should all be public information.

Grant, Maryland, USA

Sounds crazy, and pointless. It can only never account for differing rates of unreported crime.

And, as Stephen says, criminals will be able to see which areas don't have so many rivals operating in, or indeed which areas they're less likely to be reported in.

Keep it to the police.

Sam, N.Wales, Brunstromville

Don't criminals have access to the web?
"Oh that areas been burgled too much recently, well try this area instead!"

Stephen Bamforth, Pilley , England

How much Police time is going to be wasted on this scheme instead of actualy catching the villians.

Peter Fordham, Pego, Spain

Timmy fr London, are you new to town? Would you rather live where there is tax evasion or knife crime. I wouldn't want my accountant cheating me, but I'd rather that to a knife in my heart "cos i looked at sumone wrong innit timmy" Yes crime is everywhere, but crime is not the same, today's lesson

Tony, London,

are all crimes to be in the calculation? or will most white collar crimes be ignored?

adam, durham,

we're constantly told that "people don't believe the crime figures" by the media, and now we're told that crime maps will cause house prices to drop as people will not move to high crime areas... are these the same people who don't believe the crime figures ? er so which is it ?

gareth, hull,

It depends on how you read any statistics. Does this mean we look at red as being areas that the police are failing or areas filled with crooks and villians. On the flip side mean that the green areas are the ones with the best cops or less villians. I am not sure I like things like this. Who Knows

Stu, Dudley,

This data has been available through other websites (albiet in a tabular form) for years.

Simes, Sevenoaks,

corporate fraud, tax evasion, class a drugs, prostitution, insider dealing and stolen art trading are crimes too but i bet you the city and most parts of west london like westminster come up light coloured. crime is everywhere so this 'map' is pointless. red = bad policing? yellow = good policing?

tim, london, uk

The comments of Ms. Smith are spot on! The public has always been the best weapon for fighting crime and terrorism. In the US we have community based policing which enhances crime frighting efforts "inter-active map" of crime activity by neighborhood over the internet is a great idea!

Robert Tilford, McCracken , USA, Kansas

so i suppose London is in for another publicity hammering then ? Will the last respectable law-abiding Londoner switch off the lights as they escape to the home counties. i suppose the drug dealers that ply their trade in the open don't count because nobody bothers reporting it anymore ?

frank, slough, uk

God, how far behind the times is the UK? We've had these sorts of maps for at least ten years that I know of over here, and most people wouldn't even consider buying a house until they have checked the crime rate in the area they are moving into.

Paul, Kissimmee, USA

Crime mapping is utterly stupid in my honest opinion. It will change house prices in both good and bad areas. Where's the other sides view on how statistics held by police on crime are inaccurate to say the least. Street A,1 reported crime. Street B,2 unreported crimes. Where will you choose?

Dan, Worcester,

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, should, instead, mimic the New York Police Department's interactive crime-mapping program and provide it to every UK Police force. Then let the officers "go in / boots & all". It's war! The public already know where the crimes are. They want Zero Tolerance.

Ron Durham, Auckland, NZ

But I don't want "a better picture of the extent of crime in my area". In fact I don't want *any* picture of crime in my area. What I want is for the police to get back on the beat, stop crimes being committed and sort out those which have happened quickly. Is that too much to ask?

RW, UK,