Area profiles

Analysis of other community safety information, plus physical demographic and socio-economic data of the focus area will help to develop a good understanding of the general nature of the focus area crime and disorder problems. Data sources that will add to your area profile include,

• Probation data

• Health data (e.g. hospital admissions, particularly those that relate to alchohol or drugs)

• Ambulance and fire service calls for service

• Population profile - (e.g. percentage of area population over 60 years of age)

• Housing ownership (e.g. Council housing, private ownership, privately rented)

• Type of housing (e.g. flats, terraced, detached)

• Deprivation (e.g. Index of Deprivation 2000)

• Unemployment

• Educational attainment (e.g. key stage school results, truancy levels)

• Business activity (locations of licensed premises, betting shops, schools)

• Areas and persons of responsibility (e.g. which wards does the focus area cover and who are the responsible councillors)

• Local community groups (e.g. tenants associations)

• Aerial photography of area - provides added visual depth to a standard mapping base, helping to understand the physical characteristics of the area.

• Neighbourhood Statistics and the 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation. Click here for further information about accessing and downloading these statistics

Street surveys and resident surveys are an additional useful source but can often be expensive. It is worthwhile carrying out an investigation to explore what surveys may have been taken place and could complement other information that has been gathered for the focus area profile.

Area profiles can help develop an understanding to why the area has an attraction of high crime and disorder activity. The information can also be useful for helping design the crime and disorder reduction initiative that is to be targeted to the area.

Click here for an example of Hotspots for Crime and Disorder Auditing (London Borough of Hackney, February 2001)