COMMUNITY AND STATE RESPONSES TO CRIME AND DISORDER: CONFLICT, COMPROMISE AND CONTRADICTION

Using data from a comparative neighbourhood study, based in Merseyside, this paper argues the importance of recognising the contradictory and fragmented nature of contemporary urban policies and community safety strategies. It suggests that community safety plans, currently being established by police forces and local authorities in response to the Crime and Disorder Bill, need to be coherent, flexible, and responsive to local conditions. It highlights some of the problems that may be encountered in the development of such strategies. The study also shows the need to set the analysis of crime prevention policies in the context of wider urban processes. This research emerged out of a concern to develop the 'community crime career ' idea (Reiss 1986). It aims to investigate the processes involved in neighbourhood change (decline and regeneration) and the role of crime and disorder in this process. Preliminary analysis of fieldwork conducted in two localities has shown the importance of recognising the contradictory and fragmented nature of urban services and community safety strategies when theorising neighbourhood change in high crime communities. It has also illustrated the complexity of 'community ' responses to crime and incivilities. This paper discusses thes