Kerb-crawling, Prostitution and Multi-agency Policing

The Home Office Police Research Group (PRG) was formed in 1992 to carry out and manage research relevant to the work of the police service and Home Office Policy Divisions. One of the major police department divisions which acts as customer for the PRG is the Home Office Crime Prevention Unit which was formed in 1983 to promote preventive action against crime. It has a particular responsibility to disseminate information on crime prevention topics. The object of the present series of occasional papers is to present research material in a way which should help and inform practitioners, including the police, whose work can help reduce crime. Foreword When centred upon residential areas, street prostitution and kerb-crawling can significantly reduce the quality of life enjoyed by a local population. This study, which attempts to test conclusions from an earlier successful initiative in Finsbury Park, London, assesses the impact of a multi-agency initiative developed jointly by the police service and local residents' associations within Streatham (South London) to deal with such problems. One of the difficulties associated with the Finsbury Park work which was not considered at the time that research was carried out, was the extent to which tackling kerb-crawling and street prostitution in an area leads to its displacement or deflection to neighbouring sites. This present study assessed the extent to which this occurred and has shown that although there was some evidence of displacement, it was to areas such as the nearby shopping streets, which residents found less objectionable. The research reported here also suggested that there was a reduction in the level of street prostitution and kerb-crawling and that the multi-agency initiative had led to direct improvements in the quality of life experienced by local residents. The level of harassment, noise and damage suffered all appear to have declined and the fear of crime experienced was ameliorated considerably. There were also some indications that the general level of crime experienced in the neighbourhood reduced. The assessment also demonstrates some of the problems experienced as part of multi-agency initiatives. It is, however, pleasing to see that the launch of the initiative appears to have improved relationships between all parties involved. I would also like to thank all the interviewers and all those who spared the time to be interviewed. Lastly thanks also go to Paul Ekblom and Gloria Laycock for their support throughout the project and their help in …