Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Between February and September 1997, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) conducted a thematic inspection of police forces on crime reduction. This was the most comprehensive examination of crime reduction and prevention activity in the police service.

The report “Beating Crime” was published in 1998 and included:

• a review of existing research and good practice;

• interviews with agencies and others at national level;

• information gathering from all police forces in England and Wales;

• comprehensive visits to fifteen separate forces;

• a visit to a large Scottish force for the purpose of validation.

The Inspection was not confined solely to those offences which are recorded under the Home Office system of classification. It examined every activity intended to reduce all types of crime and related anti-social behaviour.

Sustainable crime reduction

Police forces should contribute to the safety and feeling of well-being of their communities by reducing crime and disorder and minimising the fear which crime and disorder generate. A police force can achieve this if it adopts a practical framework which:

• identifies crime reduction as a core policing function and manages its performance through a clear strategy with unequivocal leadership, robust accountability and management support, enabling and co-ordinating the total crime reduction effort ;

• uses a problem-solving approach ,drawing on accessible and reliable information and intelligence systems blending innovation with tried and tested methods to produce effective solutions tailored to meet local needs;

• develops partnerships which can agree joint priorities and broaden the range of potential solutions, ensuring that action is taken by the most appropriate partner, and which lead to sustainable crime reduction ;

• deploys its resources in the way best suited to support its strategy and priorities, with an awareness of the costs and expected benefits.

This framework is supported and expanded by checklists in the Inspection report.

Getting a copy

The full report “Beating Crime” (PDF format) is available at: HMIC