|
Approach |
Reasoning/Mechanism |
Summary of research
findings |
|
Work with drug
related offenders |
|
|
|
Action to tackle drug
related anti-social behaviour |
More serious crime
often develops from unmanaged street scenes |
Emerging research
suggests some engaged in begging and sex work can be diverted into
treatment via outreach schemes and arrest referral |
|
Pre arrest
Crime prevention
measures
aimed at drug
related crime (shoplifting, burglary etc |
Drug related offenders
carry out acquisitive crime |
Anti Burglary schemes
work (Burglary prevention works: Early lessons form the Crime
Reduction Programme Tilley, Pease, Hough and Brown 1999 Home
Office Crime Reduction Research Series 1).
Possible displacement
of drug related offending into other crimes – e.g. robbery |
|
Offender targeting -
"hot 100" actions |
High profile offenders
closely targeted and encouraged to access treatment |
Limited evaluation |
|
Arrest referral:
Not linked to disposal
Linked to deferred
caution |
Individuals motivated
to take up offer of help when arrested. No linkage to sentencing
or decision to prosecute. Avoid deals being made.
Use of caution for
offences of possession can be effective trigger for referral to
treatment |
Effective method for
referring offenders to treatment at early stage with reduction in
offending (Edmunds et al 1998). Related schemes linked to deferred
caution offender client group can reach additional groups of users
(An evaluation of deferred cautioning schemes, Edmunds et al, Home
Office Drug Prevention Advisory Service, not yet published) |
|
Court and pre-sentence
based referral schemes:
Deferred sentence
Bail schemes |
Threat of deferred
sentence can be motivational
Bail conditions can
be used to motivate offenders and control their offending but
opportunity is time limited and relies on immediate impact |
Limited evidence of
effectiveness in literature but may offer promise with a
particular group |
|
Post court
interventions:
Drug treatment and
testing orders
Work with young
offenders |
Sentencing options can
direct individuals to treatment, ensuring that they take it up;
and address offending behaviour |
Evidence suggests that
where they can be maintained in treatment, offending significantly
reduced (Edmunds et al 1999 ) Young Offenders: (Newburn and
Elliott 1999) |
|
Post-custodial on
release |
Ex prisoners at high
risk of relapse |
Treatment offered at
this point can prevent relapse |
|
Market disruption |
|
|
|
Visible policing |
Disrupts offenders |
Reduces offending but
with unclear evidence of displacement. Some risks in volatile
neighbourhoods. Works best in city centres, stations etc |
|
Crime prevention
activity – , CCTV etc |
Puts off offender or
leads to easier apprehension |
Likely to drive drug
sales out of sight |
Ongoing, Intelligence
led investigative action
-
use of sources and
surveillance
-
Test purchase
|
Infiltration of supply
networks leads to essential evidence for arrest and prosecution |
Risks and dangers in
test purchase operations. Sources offer potential (Serving Up: The
impact of low level police enforcement on drug markets. May,
Harocopos, Turnbull and Hough. 2000 Home Office Police Research
series Number 133) |
|
High profile police
operations |
Severe market
disruption. Send clear message to dealers. Disrupts other related
crime. Can
create fear of crime |
Good short term but
limited long term impact; creates instability and void in supply
patterns; works best if coupled with action on
regeneration/housing |
|
Environmental actions
- demolition, area
redesign |
Take out places where
dealing occurs unobserved; improves area image |
Direct impact on
sales. Possible displacement |
|
Demand reduction
activity: Education, treatment etc |
Market reduces due to
reduced demand from users |
Certain to have an
effect on market size but unlikely to close market completely |
|
Action against drug
related nuisance:
Anti Social Behaviour
orders |
Can nip behaviours in
bud |
Low take up rate to
date so limited research evidence |
|
Multi-partner
strategies:
Area regeneration, housing management changes |
Police and partners
with other powers can work together to create multiple sources of
prevention and control |
Good US evidence
(Green 1999) – currently being researched in UK. |
