Geographical displacement or diffusion of benefit around area-based interventions? Evidence from the New Deal for Communities

Adam Whitworth,David Mclennan

doi:10.3351/ppp.0004.0003.0001

Adam Whitworth, David Mclennan

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0004.0003.0001

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Abstract

Area-based interventions (ABIs) have been a popular policy approach since the 1960s at least in the UK context yet they are bedevilled by concerns that gains in the intervention area may be a result of displacement of problems to neighbouring areas. The arrival of the New Labour government in 1997 saw a surge in ‘localism’ of a variety of forms, including the innovative and intensive New Deal for Communities ABI. This paper presents findings of a national evaluation of the crime strand of the NDC Programme which focussed on assessing evidence of geographical displacement.

Highlights

There is a wealth of research evidence showing that crime tends to concentrate both in time and in space (Weisburd et al, 2008; Anselin et al, 2000; Sherman et al, 1989)
This paper presents evidence across the New Deal for Communities (NDCs) Programme as a whole to contribute to these research findings
In order to measure geographical displacement/diffusion around each of these NDC Partnerships the evaluation adopted the Weighted Displacement Quotient (WDQ) methodology developed by Bowers et al (Bowers and Johnson, 2003; Bowers et al, 2003a)

Summary

Introduction

There is a wealth of research evidence showing that crime tends to concentrate both in time and in space (Weisburd et al, 2008; Anselin et al, 2000; Sherman et al, 1989). Crime prevention strategies often target crime ‘hot spots’ in order both to tackle crime disadvantaged areas and to maximise gains from crime interventions. At the same time, such area-based crime interventions are bedevilled by concerns that crimes prevented may be displaced (Cornish and Clarke, 1987; Barr and Pease, 1990; Clarke, 1992; Clarke and Weisburd, 1994). Given the popularity of area-based interventions it is important to assess evidence for displacement and diffusion of benefit around such programmes as any such spill-over effects (whether positive or negative) will affect the net impact of crime interventions as well as altering the distribution of crime in a range of potential ways. Geographical displacement or diffusion of benefit around area-based interventions? Geographical displacement or diffusion of benefit around area-based interventions? Evidence from the New Deal for Communities

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