New projects mark Dando anniversary

The Jill Dando fund was set up in March 2000

Crime reduction projects are to be unveiled on the fifth anniversary of the death of BBC presenter Jill Dando.

Ms Dando, 37, was shot dead five years ago at her home in Fulham, south-west London, by unemployed Barry George, 41, who was jailed for life in July 2001.

The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science was set up three years ago to focus on how to prevent crime.

Current research includes mapping of crime "hotspots", and evaluating the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

The institute was created with £1m donated to the Jill Dando Fund.

It will also investigate ways to stop people putting prostitutes' cards in phone boxes and identify new crime problems earlier, by studying violence associated with markets in crack cocaine.

Analysis of anti-social behaviour, car crime and crimes against retail outlets run by people from the ethnic minorities will also be carried out.

At George's trial it was revealed a single speck of residue from the gun used to kill Ms Dando had been found in the pocket of his coat.

Perfect match

The particle was a perfect match with others found in the TV presenter's hair, according to the prosecution.

Forensic scientists also found a single strand of fibre from George's trousers that proved he had been in contact with his victim.

Barry George was convicted of Jill Dando's murder

The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, is first in the world devoted specifically to reducing crime. It does this through teaching, research and analysis.

Part of University College London, its emphasis is on both preventing crimes from happening and catching offenders more quickly after the event, setting it aside from other criminologically based organisations.

Professor Gloria Laycock, the institute's director told BBC News Online: "It's about catching people more quickly, but also about preventing crimes happening in the first place.

Crime hotspots

"Crimes tend to cluster in hotspots, in a town or city centre.

"During the day a town centre can be a hot spot for shoplifting and then it hots up again about 11pm, around closing time.

Crime is like a disease. The crime itself can cluster in the way a disease would Professor Gloria Laycock

"But the crimes are different then - public order offences or some theft."

Professor Laycock said one of the fields the institute has looked at is epidemiology.

"Crime is like a disease. The crime itself can cluster in the way a disease would," she said.

"In one street there can be a small flurry of burglaries which then go away.

"If one house is burgled, the probability of it being robbed again within in a relatively short space of time is higher than if it hadn't been burgled in first place."

Professor Laycock said the aim is to have two centres of excellence. She said a director has already been appointed for the national crime mapping centre with the aim of expanding it.

Five staff members from the Government Office for London have already been seconded to work at the centre, and it hopes to raise some money for the project, ideally from central government.