Abstract
In the first part of this chapter we provide a brief overview of the range of different ecological theories that have been advanced to explain the link between socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods and levels of crime and perceptions of (or fear of) crime. In the second part of the chapter we consider the two main weaknesses of neighbourhood effect studies – definition of neighbourhood and selection bias – and we demonstrate, by way of empirical example, how understanding of the ways in which neighbourhoods affect local residents can be further extended by allowing for the additional influences of surrounding local areas, using data from the British Crime Survey. This draws upon methodological work incorporating spatial autocorrelation in neighbourhood models (see for example Morenoff et al., 2001). In the third and final part of the chapter, we discuss the extent to which this range of neighbourhood effects research has influenced policing and crime reduction policy initiatives in England and Wales. Here we discuss the growing importance that neighbourhoods and local communities have held in policy strategies to reduce crime and raise public confidence. We highlight a number of initiatives including neighbourhood watch, neighbourhood policing, new deals for communities, community wardens (latterly Police Community Support Officers) and crime and disorder reduction partnerships.