Criminal Damage
Action Plan
Criminal damage is frequently seen as a minor crime, but damaged physical environments are unsafe, cause fear and undermine pride in the local community. It can also be seen as a catalyst to other forms of anti-social behaviour and crime.
As part of a target to reduce overall crime, the Home Office is working with partners to identify ways to tackle criminal damage and, in consultation with stakeholders, has developed a strategy and related action plan.
The strategy covers four groups of actions:
See the progress update for a summary of work done so far and plans for the future.
See copies of presentations from the Criminal Damage Conference in March 2007.
Reducing Opportunity
- Reducing opportunity means making it harder to commit criminal damage.
- Understanding who or what is being repeatedly targeted may help to focus activity on areas at highest risk. Problem analysis is key to identifying hot spots, trends in occurence and characteristics of criminal damage and can lead to solutions.
- When designing public spaces, opportunities for reducing criminal damage can be considered. Taking part in the Safer Parking and Secure Stations schemes may also help to improve security.
- Underage drinking is a problem linked to criminal damage. The Offending Crime and Justice Survey (2004) shows that a significant proportion of criminal damage offences are committed under the influence of alcohol, more so than violence. In areas where criminal damage related to alcohol is a problem, working with trading standards to ensure proper enforcement of existing regulations is important. Back to top
Reducing Incentives
- Reducing incentives is about making people less likely to commit criminal damage, either by reducing what is in it for them, or making them less keen to commit offences.
- Rapid repair is often seen as an effective way of tackling graffiti as a quick clean up removes the impact and therefore the 'buzz' for the perpetrator. This relies on the public being able to report graffiti easily and a quick response from the local authority.
- We want people to feel safe going out in their local area, using their parks and taking public transport. Stronger communities with a greater sense of ownership in their local area will help to reduce incentives for committing criminal damage. Back to top
Reducing offending
- Reducing offending is about working with offenders and those at risk of offending, recognising that not all offending can be prevented by reducing opportunities and incentives.
- The Offending Crime and Justice Survey (2004) found that of those who had committed criminal damage, 45 per cent did so more than once. Those committing criminal damage tend to be young and it can mark the start of a criminal career. A quarter of people on the Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) programme are under 20. The programme is a way of divverting young people from crime and getting them 'back on track'.
- Conditional cautioning is a mechanism by which offenders can make reparation for their actions through community work.
- Young people at risk of offending can benefit from early intervention through diversionary activities and communicating the impact and consequences of criminal damage. Back to top
Supporting delivery
- Supporting partners and enabling them to work together more effectively is key to tackling criminal damage. We recognise that there are a range of different organisations involved or interested in reducing damage. These activities are aimed at helping them work together, removing obstacles to their work and providing other support.
- The Home Office has produced good practice guides.
- The Home Office has funded a total of £500,000 for criminal damage initiatives in ten areas.
- In addition the Home Office has provided £100,000 for EnCams consultancy support to 85 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). Each partnership receives three days of support to help with problem analysis, action planning and a review of progress.
- 'Criminal damage champions' are established in each CDRP and will act as hubs of information on criminal damage locally and to share good practice with their peers.
- Online action sessions, where experts in criminal damage are available to answer practitioners' questions is one way practitioners can share and build on good practice in local areas. Back to top
Last update: Thursday, June 28, 2007
