British Crime Survey Extended to Under-16s As Design Experts Meet to Tackle Youth Crime

Forty of the UK’s leading technology designers and manufacturers joined Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and a number of young people to discuss new ways of harnessing the power of design to protect young people from crime - particularly theft of ‘hot products’ like mobile phones and MP3 players.

The event, hosted by the Design Council, is the first time that senior designers from leading technology firms, including Sony and Nokia, have joined young people, youth workers, branding experts and representatives from the police to develop products and services which will protect young people from becoming victims of crime. The focus is on generating innovative design briefs which offer a clear business opportunity for manufacturers who will be encouraged to develop them into the next generation of crime-safe gadgets.

New research published today by the Design Council on behalf of the Home Office shows that the vast majority of 11-16 year olds in England carry a gadget with them at some point. The data also shows that one in eight (12 per cent) have been the victim of ‘hot product’ theft in the last three years and one in three (31 per cent) victims were listening to music on headphones, talking or texting on a phone or playing on a games console when their item was stolen.

The Home Secretary also announced proposals to extend the British Crime Survey (BCS) to include surveys of under-16s’ experiences of crime. By extending the BCS, the Government will build on current research to understand as fully as possible young people’s concerns and experiences about crime - establishing the most comprehensive picture of youth victimization.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

“We know that young people remain more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators.

“I am delighted that so many of our best designers have contributed their time and expertise to today’s event and I look forward to seeing genuinely new and commercially viable products flow from it. The role that good design can play in cutting crime is well established but success depends on effective partnerships between Government, the police and the design industry. We have made a clear commitment in last year’s Crime Strategy to bring design into the centre of our fight against crime and to receive such strong support from our partners is extremely encouraging.

“I want to ensure that young people are offered as much protection from crime as possible, and receive support if they do become victims, whilst also tackling offending vigorously. Extending the British Crime Survey will help us to understand better how crime affects young people and do even more to prevent it. This summer we will publish a Youth Crime Action Plan to further coordinate this effort across Government.”

The research published today by the Design Council on behalf of the Home Office involved 1,000 11-16 year-olds who were questioned about their experiences of ‘hot product’ crime. The survey revealed that:

- one in eight (12 per cent) in England has been the victim of ‘hot product’ theft in the last three years;

- 97 per cent carry a gadget with them at some point;

- one in three (31 per cent) victims were listening to music on headphones, talking or texting on a phone or playing on a games console when their item was stolen;

- 85 per cent frequently carry their phones with them;

- 35 per cent carry an MP3 player;

- nearly half of those surveyed estimated the value of these products to be between £100 and £500; and

- almost two thirds are concerned about the items being stolen.

Police recorded crime figures show that robbery has fallen by seven per cent since 2002/03 with the latest data showing a 21 per cent since last year. With over half of robberies involving a mobile phone the Government’s work with the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum to block stolen phones has contributed to this trend. Good design has also cut vehicle crime by 50 per cent over ten years through central locking and detachable car stereos, for example.

Design Council Chief Executive David Kester said:

“By bringing together for the first time manufacturers, designers, victims of crime, technologists and crime experts, we can not only bring an unrivalled level of creativity to the problem - we can also identify the business opportunities which will ultimately bring these crime-reducing innovations off the drawing board and onto the market.

“By adopting this collegiate approach, design has already shown amazing successes in addressing difficult challenges such as crime reduction, improving public services and creating more sustainable communities.”

Source: Home Office

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