1. The Act places a statutory duty on chief police officers and local authorities to work together to develop and implement a strategy for reducing crime and disorder. The strategy must cover a district, borough or unitary authority area.
2. Where county and district authorities exist, they must be involved on an equal basis. Where the area to be covered by the strategy is served by more than one police force, each force must be involved.
3. The Act additionally places a legal obligation on any police authority, probation committee or health authority to co-operate if part of their area lies within the strategy area. It gives the Secretary of State power to specify, by Order of Parliament, any other body, which must similarly co-operate. It also gives him power to specify particular bodies or agencies, which the responsible authorities must invite to participate in the process.
4. Before formulating a strategy, the police and local authorities will have to:
- conduct a thorough audit of local crime and disorder problems, consulting widely in the local community, and with other key partners;
- prepare an analysis of the results;
- publish a report of that analysis; and
- obtain views on that report.
5. The strategy must be based upon the audit and must include objectives, and short and long-term performance targets for measuring the extent to which the objectives have been achieved. It will cover a three-year period.
6. Once the strategy is agreed, the responsible authorities are required to publish a document that includes details of:
- co-operating people and bodies;
- the crime and disorder review and analysis report;
- the Strategy, with its objectives and targets.
The strategy is to be kept under review as necessary. Subsequent strategies will cover successive three year periods.
7. The Act places a new obligation on local authorities and police authorities. They must consider the crime and disorder implications of all their other activities, and to do all they reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder.
8. The Act also gives provisions for disclosure and sharing of information in any case where it is necessary or expedient for the purposes of any provision of this Act.