It is the Mayor’s first priority to make London safe and in the build up to the 2008 Mayoral election, I was horrified by the incidents of knife and gun crime in our capital. Beyond that there was an atmosphere of intimidation and a fear of young people. Anti-social behaviour and robberies were rife, with robberies rising by 19.6%, and blighting the lives of thousands. My predecessor blamed everyone else, most notably the media, for the rises, claiming “if it bleeds it leads”.

Crime is very real and affects everyone. That is why I have brought new leadership to the Metropolitan Police and put more police on the streets to tackle this problem head-on.

Since I became Mayor in 2008:

• Crime has fallen by 10.6% across London and robberies are down by 16.7% since my predecessor's time in office
• Youth violence is down 13.8%
• The murder rate has fallen by over a quarter and is now at its lowest level since 1978
• By 2012 there will be one million more police patrols a year compared to when I was elected, giving a reassuring uniformed presence on the streets and deterring crime
• There will be 1,000 more police officers on the streets by the end of my first term than when I took office
• Over 11,000 knives and guns have been removed from the streets

On youth crime

• I launched Payback London – a scheme whereby teenagers have their free travel taken away from them and have to earn it back through community service.
• I opened the Heron Unit, at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institute, which has seen reoffending rates drop sharply after youths are given intensive support to change. It has been so successful that there are plans to expand it
• I have launched a new scheme to stop kids falling into violent crime using education for first time offenders and better sports facilities

On transport

• I have delivered an extra 697 police officers to patrol the transport network. These Safer Transport Teams have had success in driving down crime, with crime on the buses down by 30% - its lowest ever
• I have banned alcohol from all Transport for London services to make journeys safer and more pleasant
• I have cracked down on illegal minicabs by doubling the number of police officers dedicated to stamping them out, making it safer for women to travel at night

On sex crimes

• I have quadrupled London’s rape crisis provision. Under the previous Mayor, the number of Rape Crisis centres dwindled to just one in Croydon. Now there are three extra ones serving north, east and west London.