People in deprived areas may not know and trust their neighbours as much as those in more affluent areas but they are more likely to become personally involved in helping to prevent crime and disorder in their community.

This new research into the community response to crime has been sponsored by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) and produced by Dr Rowland Atkinson and John Flint, both research fellows at the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow. Atkinson and Flint's report is based on a study of two pairs of adjoining affluent and deprived areas in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

While there was some evidence of negative attitudes towards the police in poorer areas, the desire to see more 'bobbies on the beat' and better patrol reaction times was shared with the more affluent. The researchers found that residents in better-off neighbourhoods often wrongly blamed youths from nearby deprived areas for crime whereas many problems came from within their own locale.

Dr Atkinson commented, 'Government policy is currently looking at ways of building the capacity of communities to help in the fight against crime. Networks of residents are seen as a key means to improving community safety through personal intervention, calling in outside agencies or banding together to deal with problems. The downside to this can mean vigilantism but the advantages may be seen in coming together to 'keep an eye out'.'

The research aimed to understand the ability in different kinds of areas for people to unite to deal with local crime, particularly anti-social behaviour and general disorder.

It found that in affluent neighbourhoods, the biggest problems were car and property-related crime, vandalism and youths or gangs while in the deprived areas, vandalism, youth gangs, thefts, anti-social behaviour and verbal abuse were reported as major problems by more than a quarter of those asked.

Interestingly, the researchers also noted that people in deprived areas rely more heavily on direct controls, through intervening themselves or getting friends to help if there is a problem, but that they still look to the police. This, to some extent, contradicts the perception that such areas tend to bear animosity to official agencies.

For further information, contact Dr Rowland Atkinson on 0141 330 5048 or email: r.atkinson@socsci.gla.ac.uk.

John Flint on 0141 330 5048 or email: j.flint@socsci.gla.ac.uk

Iain Stewart or Lesley Lilley at ESRC, on 01793 413032/413119

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The research report 'Neighbourhood boundaries, social disorganisation and social exclusion' was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

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First published: 20 November 2002