Preventing Crime & Creating Safer Communities
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Crime Prevention Information & News

Two recent Community Safety case studies from Bristol, UK

Crime and security issues in two contrasting neighbourhoods have been researched by the University of the West of England’s Community Safety Team.

Southmead is a traditional municipal housing estate, built away from the centre of Bristol in the 1930s and 1960s as part of a slum clearance programme. Almost since it was built, Southmead had a reputation as a criminal area, but in the last ten years things have started to improve. The Southmead Case Study research was undertaken to try and ascertain what was behind these apparent improvements to the quality of life for residents there.

St Werburgh's is an inner city neighbourhood of mostly Victorian (19th and early 20^th Century) terraced housing, with a much higher rate of owner occupation than Southmead. St Werburgh's is adjacent to another inner city neighbourhood that is notorious for drug dealing and prostitution. The St Werburgh's Case Study was undertaken at the request of an association of local residents to see what could be done to stem the perceived increase in crime and create a safer neighbourhood for residents and workers.