Implementing the burglary reduction floor target

Ministerial foreword

"A New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal: A National Strategy Action Plan" was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2001. This set out the Government's response to tackling deprivation in England's poorest communities; a cross-Departmental vision for narrowing the gap between the most deprived areas and the rest of England. The goal is that, within 10-20 years, no one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.

Included in the plan were Departmental floor targets - i.e. baseline standards which all areas must meet. These mean that, for the first time, Departments will be judged on the areas where they are doing worst, and not just on the national average. Particular attention will be paid to improving performance and quality of life in those areas where it is poorest.

Reducing crime, particular domestic burglary, is a pre-requisite for renewing neighbourhoods. Even though the results of the latest British Crime Survey and the recorded crime figures published in July 2001 both show that burglary is decreasing, the level remains too high and it is one of the crimes that people fear most. We intend to drive it down further.

Burglary rates vary enormously and there is a close correlation between areas of high deprivation and those with the worst burglary rates. That is why it is important not just to reduce burglary nationally but to close the gap between the worst and the best areas in terms of burglary rates. The floor target is a key mechanism for identifying areas with significant problems, and tracking improvements.

This Floor Target Implementation Plan sets out what we in the Home Office are doing to reduce burglary, particularly in the most deprived areas. But we cannot do this in isolation. We are working across Government to ensure that the needs of crime reduction are considered by all relevant Departments. For example, we are discussing with colleagues in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions ideas to help fast-track crime reduction in some deprived high crime areas as a precursor to regeneration.

The police are vital players and several of the new initiatives announced in the recent White Paper on police reform - such as the work of the Policing Standards Unit and the targeting of policing priority areas - will help them deliver crime reductions. But they cannot work effectively in isolation either. They need to work with local people, local authorities and others in the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to bring down crime in communities. And in deprived areas, Local Strategic Partnerships and New Deal for Communities partnerships are important new players in the crime reduction field.

Whilst this plan predominantly concentrates on our domestic burglary floor target, the Home Office has a wider part to play in neighbourhood renewal. We have targets to reduce other forms of crime (vehicle crime, robbery, violent crime and anti-social behaviour) and are overseeing multi-Departmental activity to tackle drug abuse. We also have a crucial part to play in building stronger communities particularly through our work to promote racial equality, community cohesion and active communities.