NCJ Number
223679
Journal
Crime Prevention & Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 158-173
Date Published
July 2008
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article shows the importance of tailoring crime analysis and crime-prevention planning to local crime-generating factors by analyzing the distinctive impact of tourism on crime factors in Cornwall County, England.
Abstract
Cornwall County is composed of six districts: Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, and Restormel. Each district has between 18 and 23 wards. Tourism is especially important to Carrick, North Cornwall, Penwith, and Restormel, but less so in Caradon and Kerrier. Of these districts, only Restormel and its Newquay ward experience mass tourism, with young singles composing a significant part of the tourism market, partly due to the appeal of surfing and special events. Overall, Cornwall is a predominantly rural county with a sparse population of generally low-income residents dependent upon seasonal tourism. This makes the county distinctive in terms of crime factors that vary according to in-season and off-season tourism. Great Britain's 1998 Crime and Disorder Act provides for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, which are local multiagency groups charged with producing regular analyses ("audits") of local crime and disorder, which inform planning for local crime prevention and control strategies. This article argues that despite this intent to localize crime analysis and crime-prevention/control planning, these local efforts have been dominated by priorities and standards set by the Home Office. The article shows that in the case of Cornwall, this has resulted in crime and disorder audits that have ignored the distinctive crime-generating factors posed by seasonal tourism. This article argues for a shift from imposing national priorities and standards on local crime audits and subsequent crime-prevention/crime-control planning to a focus on priorities that stem from the distinctive crime-generating factors in each county, district, and ward. 7 tables, 2 notes and 33 references