WHY WAIT? By-laws and regulations for high impact crime prevention

Reducing crime is not just about making arrests and convicting criminals. The social and economic inequalities that cause crime require ‘crime prevention’ measures that can take years to show any results. But there is an alternative. This article argues for locally based interventions that can change social behaviour in the short term and have an immediate impact on safety and security. By-laws, for example, can be used to target those with something to lose and to regulate the ‘free-for-all’ environment that grips many of our inner cities