§ 21. Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the Kirkholt project, Rochdale; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. John PattenOn 6 June the Home Office crime prevention unit published a report describing the first phase of a project aimed at reducing burglary on the Kirkholt estate, Rochdale. The project was carried out with the support of the Greater Manchester police and probation services and has been evaluated by staff of the university of Manchester. Following the construction of a crime profile of the estate, which contains approximately 2,000 dwellings, a preventive programme was developed and implemented in the spring of 1987. The programme involved "cocoon" neighbourhood watch schemes based on victims and their immediate neighbours; the removal of pre-payment coin meters, wherever possible; and the provision of security advice and hardware. An evaluation of the effect of the work after seven months showed a 60 per cent. reduction in domestic burglary and an 80 per cent. reduction in the number of people becoming the victim of crime on more than one occasion. Figures obtained since then show that the success of the scheme has been maintained and there are no signs of crime being displaced to other estates or to other types of offence.