Crystal Clear - Reducing glass related injuries in Merseyside. (Safer Merseyside
Partnership, February 2001)
The Safer Merseyside Partnership (SMP) recognised that Police recorded crime data
was under-representing the true extent of glass and other assault related injuries
simply because victims - and especially injured offenders – were not always reporting
incidents to the police. In a survey commissioned by the Partnership, approximately
50% of victims of these types of crime stated that they had not reported the incident
to the police.
The SMP identified a number of interventions to reduce the level and severity of
these assaults but were faced with the difficulty of implementing and successfully
measuring targeted actions if the actual location of assault hotspots was not accurately
known because of this low-level of reporting.
One method the Partnership adopted was to involve Accident and Emergency departments
directly because it is often these departments that attend to the victims of the majority
of assault cases.
A concise questionnaire was calibrated, taking into consideration ways to collect
the data (computer versus paper), questions to ask (e.g. age of victim, location of
incident), reliability of responses, and patient confidentiality.
Once a co-ordinated, systematic and reasonably reliable data collection method
had been tested and was in place the information obtained can be used in a number
of ways:
Lists of licensed premises in rank order where trouble is frequent are regularly
compiled. This is fed through to police operational commanders as well as the licensing
department.
Specific incidences of group attacks and the use of weapons such as knives and
firearms (in addition to glasses and bottles) is presenting a more informed picture
of what had previously been analysed
A wider area picture of the extent and distribution of the assault problem is now
being generated. This is also being used to demonstrate strong links to other crimes
such as robbery.
Information is now more accurately cross-tabulated, analysing incidents in relation
to the sex of victim and attacker, relationship, where attacked and rates of repeat
victimisation
Geographic hotspots of assaults are providing managers with an idea of demand and
is helping to more effectively target social marketing campaigns aimed at reducing
glass related injuries.
The collection of assault data is vital to the Safer Merseyside Partnership. This
new information source, once combined with other collected information is benefiting
the Partnership in a number of ways:
Provision of strategic information and data on assaults for crime and disorder
audits
Provision of information assisting the planning and monitoring of community
safety initiatives such as Crystal Clear
Provision of statistics for the assessment of true (or at least more realistic)
levels of crime and disorder in Liverpool and surrounding districts.
Provision of information to assist the specific targeting of community safety
initiatives e.g. the use of plastic bottles and glasses in pubs and clubs.
Identifying particular licensed premises which need to address issues of disorder
and customer safety (including door staff registration and training).
Provision of evidence for the police and local council which can be used in
opposing licensing renewal applications.
The assault patient information that is being gathered has also provided valuable
information and spin-offs for other community safety and crime and disorder reduction
strategies in Merseyside. Results have already been used, to provide baseline and
supportive statistics for a Home Office bid to tackle Domestic Violence on Merseyside
as well as assaults and robbery.
The Accident and Emergency data, used in combination with public surveys, has shown
that strategies for reducing glass related assaults has been a success. A Crystal
Clear report (November 1999) showed a decrease in glass related assaults during a
specific study period. The report pointed to a number of combined measures that have
had an impact, including the Crystal Clear media campaign, high visibility policing
at hotspot times/places, city centre alcohol-free zones, and an increased awareness
amongst users (city centre visitors) and suppliers (pub/club licensees and staff).
The Crystal Clear Project also revealed that police records were unable to illustrate
the full extent of the problem primarily because crimes of this nature were being
significantly under-reported. Bottle/Glass assaults were simply not being reported
to the police or were being entered into the more general crime or disorder categories.
The information already obtained has provided useful baseline data for front line
services provided by the police, health and community safety partnerships. Police
Area commanders have also stated that the data has confirmed some ‘basic assumptions’,
but at the same time has dispelled some preconceived and misleading myths.
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