‘Acquisitive crime’ covers aspects of theft and robbery including street crime, business and retail crime and vehicle crime.
More information on the national picture
The Government Office for the South, works closely with the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and regional partners to deliver the Government’s Public Service Agreements (PSAs) relating to community safety. The PSAs set out the Government’s delivery priorities and how progress will be measured.
Two key PSAs relating to crime reduction are:
PSA 23, which has four priority actions:
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Reduce the most serious violence, including tackling serious sexual offences and domestic violence.
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Continue to make progress on serious acquisitive crime by focusing on priorities in local areas and the most harmful offenders – particularly drug-misusing offenders.
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Tackle the crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour and increasing public confidence in the local agencies involved.
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Reducing re-offending.
PSA 25: Reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drugs, which has three main strands:
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Reducing the harms caused to the development, achievement and well-being of young people and families.
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Reducing the harms caused to the health and well-being of drug users and those using alcohol in harmful ways.
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Reducing the harms caused to the community as a result of associated crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.
Business and Retail Crime
Business crime is often thought of as a ‘victimless crime’. However, offences such as shoplifting have a direct impact on employees and the public alike. In 2006/007 there were 290,625 recorded shoplifting offences in England and Wales. The British Chamber of Commerce estimates the cost of crime to business at £19 billion a year.
In recent years the Home Office has announced several initiatives aimed at reducing business crime. These include:
For more information on business crime see the Home Office Business and Retail Crime webpage.
Street Crime
Street crime is the term used to capture offences that occur in public places. This type of crime can include mugging where the victim is assaulted and snatch crimes where there is no assault. Other forms of street crime include soliciting (prostitution), graffiti and vandalism.
In 2002, the Government launched the Street Crime Initiative, a multi-agency approach to reducing robbery rates.
For more information on street crime see the Home Office Robbery and Street Crime webpage.
Vehicle Crime
In 2007/08 nearly 1.5 million car-related crimes were recorded, which is roughly 13% of all recorded crime. Most vehicle crime is opportunistic and can therefore be prevented. By providing simple advice, such as not leaving valuables on display in an unattended vehicle, could have a significant impact on recorded crime levels.
For more information on vehicle crime see the Home Office Vehicle Crime webpage.
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