Data Sources

Crime & Disorder Partnerships can draw upon a wide range of potential information when preparing the audit. The tool kit provides a table, based upon the Home Office national guidance on key information sources which partnerships can access and use to determine local problems and underlying causes of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

Crime & Disorder Partnerships should also use national reports that allow local information to be placed in a regional or national context for comparable purposes, e.g.

• British Crime Survey

• Home Office Statistical Bulletins

• Drugs Misuse Database/Annual Report on Drugs Misuse

• UK Fire Statistics Bulletin

• Department of Health reports

It will also be useful to keep a record of sources of data which are not available or which are incomplete or of poor quality, and to consider establishing systems to collect such information and improve it for future audits. Lack of adequate information can be a major hindrance to effectively auditing, implementing and evaluating anti-social behaviour.