Groups struggle with violent crime

Fewer than a third of local agencies led by the police to tackle crime have drawn up a strategy to combat violent offences, it has been revealed.

Government spending watchdogs said more than 70% of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) had no written strategy on violence, such as alcohol-fuelled yob behaviour in town centres.

The agencies were more likely to concentrate on tackling anti-social behaviour instead, the National Audit Office (NAO) found.

The Government's controversial Licensing Act - which introduced 24-hour drinking laws - was dismissed as ineffective by 13% of CDRPs surveyed by the auditors. Only 46% said it was effective, with the rest expressing neutral views.

A third of CDRPs said a lack of cash or the short-term nature of Home Office funding - described as "unreliable" by the auditors - was the main barrier to work on reducing violent crime.

The Home Office also had a mixed record on spreading knowledge about the most successful tactics, they added. The NAO reported that there was also a lack of analysis in some CDRPs which could pinpoint causes of violent crime, such as incidents around pubs and clubs.

"Further engagement and data sharing between partners in CDRPs could help to reduce significantly the risk of violent crime in local areas," the report said. "Reducing anti-social behaviour is a higher priority for more CDRPs than reducing violent crime."

In a survey, 29% said anti-social behaviour was their highest priority, while 9% said wounding and 6% said city centre violence. CDRPs comprise police, fire brigade, local councils and local NHS officials, and draw up strategies to deal with problems in local areas.

The NAO said many could be "more systematic" in gathering data about violent crime around pubs and clubs, and using it to impose conditions on problem premises.

It found 62 out of 187 CDRPs never use data from local education authorities on pupils excluded for violence when devising their strategies, while 42 out of 196 CDRPs never look at data from accident and emergency departments.