Conducting an audit of crime and disorder is a requirement of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This report presents findings of the third audit undertaken in the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane since the Act received Royal Assent in July 1998.
The essential task of the audit was to assemble the diversity of information relating to crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour and drugs misuse into an overall picture. This informed the next stage of the process - the development of the Community Safety Strategy 2005/2008.
However, this audit is not just an accumulation of information and statistics from a wide range of agencies involved in community safety. It also contains the views and opinions of the community on the current state of crime and disorder across the borough.
Both the statistical information, and the views of the community, have been analysed to arrive at clearly evidenced results that will inform the next three year Community Safety Strategy.
The results of the audit provide a foundation for the future work of the local crime and disorder reduction partnership – the Community Safety Forum. This will also help ensure that it makes the best use of public resources in targeting the most serious forms and geographical concentrations (‘hot spots’) of crime and disorder in Basingstoke and Deane.
Significant work has been undertaken in the production of this audit. All those agencies which supplied data were represented on an Audit Working Group, together with elected Members and other representatives of our communities.
This audit is a significant step forward in our understanding of issues and problems effecting every resident of our borough – whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities or economic circumstances. We will continue to work in partnership with all agencies and communities in Basingstoke and Deane to make our borough an even better and safer place in which to live and work.
Structure of the Audit Report
Chapter One introduces the report by giving an overview of the national and local context of the current audit, issues that have arisen in relation to the report, and recommendations for improvements.
Chapter Two presents the Audit Working Group and describes the procedures and methodology used to undertake the work. It also explores the reliability and validity of the data collected for audit purposes.
Chapter Three presents results of the audit in Basingstoke and Deane. It explains the problem solving approach for producing the audit and strategy and how it has been applied at the initial ‘broad and shallow’ stage of the audit and at the further ‘deep and narrow’ stage. The findings of the ‘broad and shallow’ stage form a picture of the nature and scale of the crime, anti-social behaviour, and misuse of drugs problem. This provides an overall context, and also a guide to determine what themes and areas require more detailed analysis.
The ‘narrow and deep’ audit looks in detail at the underlying characteristics, identifying why these problems occur and what factors can be manipulated to reduce them.
Chapter 3 also outlines lessons learnt, and priorities for the new Community Safety Strategy identified by the audit.
The report also includes appendices, which provide additional data to illustrate findings of the audit.
Appendix 1 – Definition of terms and abbreviations
Appendix 2 – Structure of the Community Safety Forum
Appendix 3 – Profile of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane
Appendix 4 – Data on multiple deprivation in Basingstoke and Deane, 2004
Appendix 5 – Findings of the Perception of Crime and Safety Survey 2004
Appendix 6 – Victim Profile
Appendix 7 – Offender Profile
Appendix 8 – Youth Victim and Offender Profiles
Appendix 9 – Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service data
Appendix 10 – Case Studies
Appendix 11 – Domestic, Racial and Homophobic Crimes
You can download the Key Findings and the complete version of the Crime, Disorder and Drugs Audit 2004 at the bottom of this page. Please note that the complete report was split into separate sections (chapters and appendices) to make downloading easier.
Printed copies of the Key Findings and the complete Audit Report 2004 can be requested from the Borough Community Safety Team:
- by phone: 01256 845390
- by e-mail: community.safety@basingstoke.gov.uk
- by post: Community Safety Team, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Civic Office, London Road
Basingstoke RG21 4AH