Crime & Disorder & Drugs Audit 2004 - Executive Summary

Mervyn Middleton, Community Safety Partnership Co-Ordinator

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• Publié par: Vouv
• Nombre de lectures: 22
• Langue: English

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Broadland Crime and Disorder
and Drugs Audit 2004
Executive Summary
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 11 Executive Summary
The executive summary is divided into, first, a summary of findings and, second, a
statement of emergent priorities and recommendations, for crime and disorder, and then
for drugs and alcohol.
Please note that 1998 ward boundaries are used throughout this report for the definition of
sub-district geographic areas. For a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of the
methodology used in the Audit, please refer to Section 2.3.
1.1 Summary of findings – crime and disorder
1.1.1 Crime - volume and trends
In 2003-4, there were 5,221 recorded crimes in the area of Broadland Community Safety
Partnership (i.e. Broadland Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, or CDRP). This
represents an increase of 25.3% compared to the time of the last audit (2000-1).
In the 4 years to April 2004, the most commonly-occurring crime types in Broadland were,
in descending order, ‘Theft other’ (of which 14.6% was shoplifting), ‘Criminal damage’,
‘Theft from motor vehicle’, ‘Violence against the person’ (of which 4.3% in 2003-4 was
more serious violence), ‘Burglary non-dwelling’, ‘Crime other’, ‘Burglary dwelling’ and
‘Theft of motor vehicle’. The categories ‘Drugs offences’, ‘Sexual offences’, and ‘Robbery’
were not volume crimes in Broadland.
The types of crime where there have been the biggest increases are violence against the
person (up 126.3%) and criminal damage (up 57.9%). On the other hand, there has been
some reduction over the same period in vehicle crime (down 23.4%), and burglary has
increased only very marginally (up 0.6%). Numbers of theft from a vehicle fell significantly
in 2003-4.
For all categories of crime studied (except criminal damage), the biggest year-on-year
increases appeared in 2002-3, coinciding with the introduction of NCRS. However, the
inflationary effect of NCRS, as estimated by the Home Office, does not account entirely for
the size of the 2002-3 increases.
1.1.2 Crime - comparative incidence
Rising numbers of crimes, however, must be considered in the context of the incidence
(rate) of crime in Broadland compared to the benchmarks of Norfolk, Eastern region,
England & Wales, CDRP Family 9, and Broadland’s new family of 15 ‘most-similar’
CDRPs.
In 2003-4, for the categories of all crime, theft of and from a motor vehicle, domestic
burglary, violence against the person and criminal damage, incidence in Broadland was
less than 60% of incidence in Norfolk, Eastern region or England and Wales. For violence
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 2against the person and domestic burglary, incidence in Broadland was only half of
incidence in Norfolk, Eastern region or England and Wales. For incidence of burglary other
than in a dwelling, Broadland was closer to these three benchmarks, but still outperformed
each of them.
The averages for CDRP Family 9 and Broadland’s family of most-similar CDRPs in 2003-4
were used as additional benchmarks for the categories of vehicle crime, domestic
burglary, and violence against the person. In each case, incidence in Broadland was lower
than both family averages.
For shoplifting in 2002-3, incidence in Broadland was only 34% of incidence in Norfolk,
Eastern region or England and Wales.
The picture is very similar with regard to Broadland’s position within its new family of 15
most-similar CDRPs, instituted in 2004. In the baseline quarter of January – March 2004,
rd st thBroadland ranked 3 (where 1 corresponds to the lowest crime rate and 15 the highest)
for crime as a whole. For drugs offences, burglary dwelling, burglary other than dwelling,
vehicle crime, violent crime (i.e. violence against the person plus sexual offences and
robbery), shoplifting, arson and criminal damage to dwellings, Broadland ranked better
ththan the median position (i.e. 8 ). For more serious offences of violence against the
person and criminal damage to buildings other than dwellings, it ranked at the median
position. For criminal damage other than arson or damage to buildings or vehicles, it
ranked worse than the median position.
1.1.3 Domestic violence – volume and trends
Records used for domestic violence, drawn from Norfolk Constabulary’s Domestic
Violence Database, include both crimes and non-crime incidents. Only two full CDRP
years could be studied.
There were 555 recorded incidents of domestic violence in Broadland in 2003-4 compared
to 559 in 2002-3, a decrease of 0.7%. Of the total of 1,114 recorded incidents in the 2
years 2002-4, 77% involved current or ex-intimate partners, 19% involved family members
and the remaining 4% involved other relationships.
1.1.4 Anti-social behaviour incidents – volume and trends
Anti-social behaviour includes both crimes (particularly criminal damage) and non-crime
incidents. Anti-social behaviour-related CAD incidents, taken separately, fell by 4.2%
between 2000-1 and 2003-4. Of the incident types considered, drunkenness was the most
widely-occurring in 2003-4, constituting 28% of the total of 503 incidents.
1.1.5 Racist and homophobic incidents – volume and trends
Data for hate incidents (including crimes and non-crime incidents) in Broadland was drawn
from specialist Norfolk Constabulary databases. There were fewer than 15 racist incidents
per annum on average in the 3 year period to April 2004; and there was less than 1
homophobic incident per annum on average in the 4-year period to April 2004.
1.1.6 Data issues
The flags ‘domestic motive’, ‘racial motive’ and ‘alcohol or drug’ in the crime database are
a potentially valuable source of data on the extent and nature of domestic violence, racism
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 3and substance misuse in relation to criminal activity. However, in the case of each of these
flags, the respective field is left blank in at least 75% of crime records. This rate of
reporting cannot sustain a meaningful analysis.
1.1.7 Costs of crime and disorder
For certain crime types, Home Office estimates of the proportion of crime which is not
reported and unit costs to society were applied to Broadland in 2003-4.
Violence against the person cost £24.5m, criminal damage £5.4m, burglary £4.4m, vehicle
crime £2.1m, and shoplifting £2.0m.
Costs found for domestic violence and anti-social behaviour in Broadland in 2003-4 are not
directly comparable with the above figures, as the scope differs. The cost to society of
recorded and non-reported domestic violence, including crimes and non-crime incidents,
was £27.0m. The cost to agencies only of anti-social behaviour was £0.7m.
1.1.8 Ward analysis
For vehicle crime, burglary dwelling, burglary other than dwelling, violence against the
person, domestic violence, anti-social behaviour incidents, criminal damage and
shoplifting, between two and five priority wards within Broadland were identified. The
analysis took into account both volume and incidence of crime and disorder.
Hellesdon West emerged as the top priority for violence against the person and anti-social
behaviour. Hellesdon Southeast emerged as the top priority for vehicle crime and
shoplifting, Brundall for burglary dwelling, Rackheath for burglary other than dwelling,
Taverham for domestic violence, and Thorpe St Andrew Northeast for criminal damage.
Thorpe St Andrew South, the most deprived ward in Broadland, was identified as a priority
ward – though not the top priority – for six types of crime and disorder. Seven other wards
were identified as priority areas for targeting one or more types of crime and disorder.
The ward analysis also tested the hypothesis that there is a correlation between incidence
of crime and disorder and the level of deprivation amongst wards within Broadland. For
vehicle crime, burglary dwelling, burglary other than dwelling, violence against the person,
domestic violence, anti-social behaviour incidents, criminal damage and shoplifting, the
correlation was poor. In the case of burglary dwelling and shoplifting, the inverse
correlation was stronger.
1.1.9 Deep analysis of a single ward
For each of the types of crime and disorder where priority wards were identified, except for
burglary other than dwelling, a detailed analysis of the most-affected ward was conducted.
2003-4 data was used.
The precise pattern of hotspots varied from one type of crime and disorder to another. For
violence against the person and ASB CAD incidents in Hellesdon West, the highest
concentration was in the vicinity of a hospital. For vehicle crime and shoplifting in
Hellesdon Southeast, and for criminal damage in Thorpe St Andrew Northeast, the highest
concentrations were on or adjacent to the Norwich Ring Road. For burglary dwelling in
Brundall, the most severe hotspot was an area of housing between the A47 and the
railway.
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 4x
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Vehicle crime occurred mostly in car parks, and a third of criminal damage took place in
gardens. Peak times varied from late evening for vehicle crime and criminal damage to
early evening for anti-social behaviour and early afternoon for shoplifting.
Males were in the majority amongst offenders for domestic violence in Taverham (peak
age 30-34), vehicle crime in Hellesdon Southeast (peak age 25-29), and shoplifting in
Hellesdon Southeast (peak age 20-24). Offender