Making links : the auditing of alcohol-related crime and disorder.

Abstract

All Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships are obliged to conduct three-yearly local audits of crime and disorder. It is clear that particular types of information tend to be lacking in these audits. One such example is data pertaining to alcohol-related crime and disorder. This article examines the conceptual problems associated with the notion of specifically alcohol-related crime and disorder, and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of available data. A distinction is drawn between a 'direct' and an 'indirect' approach, and the key issues and implications of each are analysed. It is argued that an indirect approach is potentially the most productive.