What is Section 17?
Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires local and
police authorities, plus other agencies, to consider crime and
disorder reduction and community safety when undertaking all of
their duties and responsibilities.
Section 17 states:
"Without prejudice to any other obligation imposed on it, it
shall be the duty of each authority to which this section applies
to exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely
effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do
all that it reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in its
area".
What is the impact of Section 17?
Community safety issues impact on all areas of local government
services, but will be particularly relevant to:
- Education
- Social Services
- Planning
- Roads and Highways
- Housing
- Refuse
- Leisure
- Transport
- Environmental Health
- Trading Standards
- Licensing/Public Entertainment
- Fire and Rescue Services
The responsibilities placed on all local government
departments by Section 17 provides the impetus for them to consider
how their service area can contribute to reducing crime and
disorder, as well as their impact on social and
community factors that affect crime
levels.
The Government review
The paper “Building Communities Beating Crime” a
better police service for the 21st Century, confirms the
government's intention to review the provisions of Section 17. The
Government proposes to look at how community safety can
be most effectively mainstreamed into key partner's business,
including systematic mechanisms for assessing and rewarding
compliance, and specific consequences of non-compliance.
The government is including community safety in the comprehensive
performance assessment. The review is also to assess whether
Section 17 currently covers the right agencies and bodies and will
recommend extending its scope where appropriate.
Mainstreaming Section 17 in Suffolk
A cross-directorate steering group is working to
support all departments across the county council to undertake self
assessments and prepare improvement plans to ensure that the
requirements of Section 17 are being
met.