Crime reduction and accessibility

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Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Legislative Background - The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 set out statutory requirements for responsible authorities (the police, other local agencies and organisations) to form partnerships to develop and implement strategies to tackle crime and disorder in their area. These partnerships are known as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs).

There are 376 CDRPs, 354 in England and 22 in Wales. The work of CDRPs is about raising and improving the safety and security of local neighbourhoods, therefore it is essential that a wide range of public and private sector bodies, including community groups provide a cross cutting approach in tackling local crime and disorder.

The Police Reform Act 2002 amended The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and extends the "responsible authorities" under the 1998 Act to include police and fire authorities, primary care trusts in England (from 2004) and health authorities in Wales. Together with the police and local authorities, these authorities now have a statutory responsibility, in exercising their various functions, to consider crime and disorder implications and to do all that they can to prevent crime and disorder. There is also a new requirement on responsible authorities to formulate and implement a strategy for combating the misuse of drugs in the local area.

The 2002 Act introduces a requirement for responsible authorities to produce an annual report, the prime purpose of which is to record what has been done to reduce crime and disorder and tackle drugs misuse, so as to increase their accountability to the community. The Act also provides powers for the Secretary of State by order to require that any specific area of crime and disorder must be included by responsible authorities in their strategy.

Transport and Crime

Crime and disorder on public transport is a serious concern for transport operators and providers. The Mobility and Inclusion Unit (MIU) in the Department for Transport and the Crime Reduction Delivery Team in the Home Office have been working in partnership to highlight the issue to CDRPs and devise strategies to reduce crime and the fear of crime in and around public transport.

As a result of consultations between MIU, the Home Office and local transport groups the Crime Reduction Delivery Team in the Home Office is working to issue an order under the Crime and Disorder Act so as to enable "Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) and Passenger Transport Authorities (PTAs)" to participate in CDRPs. This will help to raise the profile of transport within CDRPs and encourage the development of strategies to reduce crime and fear of crime in and around public transport.

DfT and the Home Office have been engaged in a number of initiatives to encourage co-operation between CDRPs and transport authorities and highlight the problems of crime and fear of crime on and around public transport, these include:

  • Guidance - In 2002 the DfT issued guidance to local authorities and bus operators on improving personal security for passengers and staff. `Get on board: An Agenda for Improving Personal security - Guidance and Case Studies' covers all parts of the journey, including stations, stops and shelters as well as on vehicles. Guidance has also been issued to bus drivers for managing the school run, and to local transport authorities for improving personal security on pedestrian journeys.
  • CDRPs have been issued guidance to encourage consideration of crime and fear of crime around transport.
  • Seminars - seminars were organised in all Government Offices in the regions to promote a partnership approach between transport operators and CDRPs or the police; to build links between transport and crime reduction agencies; and to identify and share good practice.
  • Business model - The Home Office has developed a partnership business model to enable CDRPs to analyse crime and disorder problems better and implement appropriate and tested solutions. The model will guide CDRPs to collect information from, and work with, transport providers as well as other agencies. This will enable them to identify and tackle transport-related crime and disorder. It will also allow regional analysis of cross-boundary issues, such as offenders using transport to move from one victim to another.
  • Secure Stations Scheme - The Secure Stations Scheme, which was launched by the DETR in 1998, is designed to improve and standardise good security practices at overground and underground stations. Currently approximately two thirds of overground rail journeys and one third of London Underground journeys start or finish at a Secure Station.
  • The Safer Travel on Buses and Coaches Panel (STOP) - A DfT initiative to bring together those agencies and other bodies that have a role to play in improving bus and coach security and to promote, encourage and co-ordinate relevant action by them. STOP seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas between members with operational experience and professional expertise on good practice for combating the crime problems and disseminate good practice.

Crime and Accessibility

Crime is a major barrier to many people accessing public transport:

  • 53% women and 23% men feel unsafe waiting on a train platform
  • 44% women and 19% men feel unsafe waiting at a bus stop
  • 47% women and 21% men feel unsafe walking from the bus stop/station
  • 46% women and 24% men feel unsafe walking in a multi storey car park

(Crime Concern/Transport and Travel Research, 1997)

The SEU Report identified partnership working as an effective way to address crime and fear of crime across the passenger's whole journey - on route to, while waiting for and when travelling on public transport. This includes both partnerships working at a local level, and liaison between DfT, Home Office and local practitioners.

As a result of the SEU Report the Home Office will be:

  • Issuing guidance to CDRPs to raise the profile of crime and fear of crime around transport routes and hubs; and encourage data collection and participation in accessibility planning
  • Producing a 'transport toolkit' of practical and evaluated suggestions for tackling crime around transport to be added to the other crime reduction toolkits on the crime reduction website.