Copy the page URI to the clipboard
Thompson, Marianne; Hearnden, Ian; Millie, Andrew; Mallender, Jacque and Kingsnorth, Rebecca Reducing Burglary Initiative Project Summary: Fordbridge, Solihull. In Supplement 2 to Findings 204 The Home Office, London, UK.
URL: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/2...
Abstract
Round 1 of the Reducing Burglary Initiative (RBI) was built upon a strong evidence base of operational research, which had identified types of measures that can be effective in reducing burglary in local areas. A key objective of the RBI was to find out what works best where. Sixty three Strategic Development Projects (SDPs) were funded by Round 1 of the RBI. These projects were encouraged to develop innovative burglary reduction strategies. As a result, a wide range of interventions was implemented in a variety of contexts making use of different principles.
This paper presents a summary of one of these SDPs where the main intervention methods implemented were:
- Target hardening vulnerable properties
- Installation of alley gates
- Installation of electronic entry systems for multi-dwelling properties
- Improvements to street lighting
- Provision of access to leisure facilities for young people in the ‘open’ environment and in organised leisure facilities.
- Outreach work with local young people.
Between project before and after periods, there was a net fall in the number of burglaries of 12 per cent in the project area, when controlling for burglary trends in the rest of the Police Force Area1. The project was also found to be cost effective.
1. This net reduction in burglary figure is based on the number of burglaries per month during the project
before and after periods of September 1997 to March 1999 and April 1999 and December 2000. These periods are used for comparison purposes for all SDPs as they are the longest comparison periods for which data is available for all the projects (see Kodz J and Pease K (2003) ‘Reducing Burglary Initiative: early findings on burglary reduction’ Home Office Findings 204. London: Home Office). Over these periods the Police Force Area saw a reduction in
burglary of 14 per cent and the project area saw a reduction of 26 per cent, giving a net burglary reduction in the project area of 12 per cent.