Drugs: Crime

In a series of written questions, Philip Dunne asks the Home Secretary about illegal drug dependency and crime.

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent assessment she has made of the links between dependency on illegal drugs and retail crime; [263491]

(2) what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of retail crime committed to fund illegal drug use; [263492]

(3) what her most recent estimate is of the proportion of (a) people arrested for retail crime who are illegal drug users and (b) retail crime committed in order to fund illegal drug use. [263493]

Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 13 March 2009]: There is evidence which points to a relationship between acquisitive crimes and drug misuse, although that relationship can be complex.

The Department has commissioned a number of studies which provide information on the relationship between theft and other acquisitive crime and drug use. In addition, monitoring data from the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) are routinely collated.

These data sources provide some information on the links between drug dependency and crime and the proportions of arrestees who use drugs. We have no published estimates of the share of total retail crime committed to fund drug use, although these sources do provide some indication.

The most recent assessment of the link between dependency on drugs and crime is the Arrestee Survey 05/06 which provides information on arrestees' self-reported offending while using drugs, and reported crimes committed in order to buy/get hold of drugs. This survey also provides the best available estimate of the proportion of people arrested for theft in general who are drug users. For example, of arrestees who reported taking heroin and/or crack cocaine (HC) at least once a week, 54 per cent. reported shoplifting in the four weeks prior to arrest compared to 10 per cent. for those arrestees who did not take HC at least once per week.

81 per cent. of arrestees who used heroin and/or crack cocaine (HC) on at least a weekly basis reported committing acquisitive crimes in the 12 months prior to arrest, in comparison to 30 per cent. of those arrestees who did not take HC weekly. (Source: Table 5.4 Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/07)

http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1207.pdf

Data from the Drug Intervention Programme also provide information on the number of positive drug tests (heroin and crack/cocaine) in 106 basic command units (BCUs) for those arrested and/or charged with a number of trigger offences, including theft.

There are no data on the proportion of retail crime committed to fund drug use, although estimates of the social and economic, CJS and victim costs are provided in Home Office Online report 16/06

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr1606.pdf

for shoplifting and robbery (commercial and personal robbery are combined in one category) and other crime categories.

Additional sources of data include:

The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study-a representative study of drug treatment-seekers in England and Wales. The findings from this survey provide information on the number of treatment-seekers who had committed offences prior to interview, the number committing offences in order to buy drugs, and the numbers committing offences while under the influence of drugs. Around two-fifths (39 per cent.) of drug treatment seekers reported committing an acquisitive crime in the four weeks prior to interview. This figure rose in the case of heroin and crack cocaine users, with 55 per cent. reporting that they committed an acquisitive crime in the four weeks before interview. (Source: Home Office Research Report 3)

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/horr03c.pdf

The Offending Crime and Justice Survey-a survey of offending among young people in the general population, asks whether offenders who had committed 'other thefts' (including retail but not limited to) had taken alcohol or drugs at the time of the offence

href="http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1706.pdf

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the cost to retailers of drug-related retail crime. [263494]

Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 13 March 2009]: The most recent estimates made by the Department of the costs of drug-related retail crime provide figures for the victim costs of shoplifting as well as robbery associated with class A drug use (note that robbery covers both commercial and personal robbery). Estimates are also provided for the total social and economic costs of these crimes associated with class A drug use.

Recent estimates suggest that shoplifting accounts for 12 per cent. of the total social and economic costs of class A drug use. Victim costs for shoplifting are made up of the value of the property stolen and were estimated at £1,533 million in 2003-04.

Robbery is estimated to account for 16 per cent. of total social and economic costs of class A drug use (although note that this does not distinguish between personal and commercial robbery). Victim costs for robbery are made up of the value of property stolen as well as the cost of violence experienced by the victim and were estimated at £1,583 million in 2003-04.

Sources:

Home Office online report 30/05

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr3005.pdf

Home Office online report 16/06

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr1606.pdf

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the level of illegal drug dependency in the UK in each year since 1997. [264082]

Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Home Office is not able to provide information on levels of illegal drug dependency in the UK, but the British crime survey (BCS) does routinely provide estimates of illicit drug use among adults living in households in England and Wales.

Table 1 shows trends in the proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds who have said they had used illicit drugs in the last year; latest figures show that the prevalence of any illicit drug use has fallen since the 1998 BCS.

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