This Web page from the Office of Justice Programs presents a snapshot of the Kirkholt (England) Burglary Prevention Project.
The Kirkholt (England) Burglary Prevention Project was developed and implemented in Kirkholt, a public housing are in Rochdale, England, due to the areas high burglary rate. The project was implemented in two phases with multiple goals: establish links between agencies for sustainable crime prevention and reduction; securing community ownership of the project; and introducing community/offender initiatives for reducing the motivation to commit crimes. A study of the project was conducted in 1990 and the results indicate that following implementation of the first phase of the project, the level of burglaries in Kirkholt fell by 40 percent from the pre-implementation rate. The study also found that victimization rates decreased the most for those aged 19-25, followed by those aged 26-35. In addition, while burglary rates fell during most months, they increased significantly during September, which coincided with the peak vacation period for older and retired persons. The study did not find any evidence of crime displacement as a result of the project. A cost-benefit evaluation found that the project resulted in an estimated savings of 1.2 million pounds by the government. This savings estimate does not include benefits associated with increased revenues from greater occupancy rates or increased revenues resulting from decreases in insurance claims. References