Acknowledgements Contents

The Home Office Police Research Group (PRG) was formed in 1992 to carry out and manage research in the social and management sciences relevant to the work of the police service and Home Office policy divisions. One of the major police department divisions which acts as customer for the PRG is the Home Office Crime Prevention Unit which was formed in 1983 to promote preventive action against crime. It has a particular responsibility to disseminate infomnation on crime prevention topics. The object, of the present series of occasional papers is to present research material in a way which should help and inform practitioners, including the police, whose work can help reduce crime