Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Working out what to do: evidence based crime reduction * * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006 * All rights reserved © Copyright 2006

The aim of this report is to help police services and local partnerships approach crime prevention and problem-solving in a coherent, informed and structured way, to improve prospects for real achievement. It distils principles for effective, evidence-based practice.

Title: Working out what to do: Evidence based crime reduction
Authors: Nick Tilley and Gloria Laycock
Series: Crime Reduction Research Series Paper 11, January 2002
Number of pages:  74 (Research Series Paper) & 4 (Findings)
Date published: January 2002

Drawing mainly on research in the United States and United Kingdom, it discusses the application of six key concepts:

• Aims describe overall problem-solving or crime reduction aspirations e.g. to reduce burglary.

• Problem-specification comprises a more detailed and evidenced statement of an aim e.g. reduce burglary by tackling repeat victimisation, having established that this is a major issue in the project area.

• Tactics describe what will actually be done to tackle the problem.

• Mechanisms refer to the ways in which tactics will bring about change.

• Context comprises the place, time, social organisation etc within which the tactics will activate change mechanisms.

• Replication involves adopting and adapting approaches that have been found effective in one context, such that they will work similarly when implemented in another place.

The examples used in the report relate specifically to situational crime prevention, for which there is the strongest research base, though the principles would be relevant also to other approaches to prevention. The report uses a case study of domestic burglary.

As situational tactics are rooted in research showing the significance of opportunity in the generation of criminal behaviour, the report shows they are probably most useful in strategies that target problems concentrated on particular places, victims, products or methods. It describes Clarke’s typology of opportunity reducing techniques, highlighting the underlying change mechanisms through which situational measures can bring about their effects.

Whilst accepting that no situational measure provides a panacea, the report looks at the skills needed to decide on tactics and ways of sustaining effects, given that many crime reduction tactics have a characteristic life-cycle. Strategies involving a coherent blend of tactics have great promise, for example ‘crackdown and consolidation’ and ‘weed and seed’. These mix enforcement, to bring about short-term impacts, with measures liable to produce longer-term changes in the wake of the short-term measures.

The paper suggests that implementing a strategic approach to crime reduction and problem-solving along the lines described depends on a strong strategic planning capacity, good data and an ability to analyse it, and willingness and capacity to apply leverage, where necessary, on those best placed to act to reduce crime.

It ends with two checklists:

• for police agencies and partnerships to ensure they are set up to deliver effective evidence-based practice.

• for those trying to address problems to check that what they are planning makes sense.

This report springs from a project that was jointly supported by the Home Office and the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

Getting a copy of the report

Download the full report from the Home Office website (73 pages) PDF (286Kb)

Download the briefing note from the Home Office website (4 pages) PDF (42Kb)

Last update: 10/09/03