The facts about crime in Keighley and Bradford were revealed last week in the massive new Crime and Disorder Audit. The views of more than 200 local organisations and hundreds of people were published alongside a wealth of official statistics. Bradford council, the police and health agencies will draw on the information as they formulate future crime-fighting initiatives. David Knights looks at some of the report's key findings.

The crime rate in the Bradford district is higher than the West Yorkshire average and substantially higher than the rest of the country. But the total recorded crimes across the district have dropped gradually since 1996, with Keighley suffering a lower crime rate than central Brad-ford.

Burglaries and vehicle crime together account for more than half the total crimes, with violent crime making up just five per cent of the total.

The number of burglaries has dropped but parts of inner Keighley, and some council-housing estates, are among the worst-hit areas.

Violent crime dipped before rising again last year, with central Keighley and Bradford being the most dangerous places.

Drug use, drug dealing and drug-related crime were confirmed as key areas of concern for local people.

The audit discovered that most drug offences are not reported so it is hard to decide the extent of the problem.

Police discovered that more than one in five crimes, including many burglaries, had a drugs connection. Central Bradford was the worst-hit area, with estates and central parts of Keighley also suffering highly.

Hot spots for car crime include commercial areas, residential areas of central Keigh-ley and some council estates. The number of incidents has remained fairly constant since late 1997.

Criminal damage, which includes arson, threats and damage to vehicles and buildings, accounts for one in five crimes. Council estates and town centres are among the worst-hit areas.

The number of domestic violence reported over the past two years has increased, with more incidents reported on council estates than central areas. The rise is believed to be due to victims' increasing confidence that the police will deal with the crime effectively.

Central Keighley and large council estates were identified as areas of concern for disorder incidents.

Keighley has suffered few arson attacks in comparison to areas of Bradford, where the number of incidents rose sharply in 1997 before dropping again. Parts of Bradford also suffered a higher number of hoax calls to the fire service. Almost 70 per cent were from children.

The number of racial incidents reported to police across the district has risen over the past three years.

More than half the victims were white with Pakistanis making up a further 29 per cent of the total. Half the suspects were Asian and 37 per cent were white.

Officers are unsure whether the figures reveal a real rise or an increased willingness of victims to report incidents.

Abuse counts for more than a third of racial incidents and violence a further 28 per cent, with harassment and damage each accounting for about a tenth. Central Keighley is a hot spot along with several areas of Bradford.

The audit says the figures make it clear that racism is an issue that must be addressed by all local communities.

Young people from council-housing estates are three times more likely than others to commit crime.

Almost 40 per cent of young offenders live on the estates even though only 13 per cent of the total population live there.

Around 2,380 under-18s across the district carried out a total of 7,166 offences in the 1997/98 financial year.

One youth committed 235 offences, another 80, and a further 27 committed at least 25 each. One youth committed 14 offences in one day.

The vast majority of young people break the law only once but a small number are habitual offenders responsible for a significant proportion of crime.

Three-quarters of young criminals are white and about 20 per cent are Asian. Male young offenders outnumber females by around seven to one.

Although less than one in five young offenders are drug users, those users account for almost 28 per cent of youth crime.

The Probation Service says more than a third of its clients suffer 'substance misuse' problems, mostly with drugs. This represents a 66 per cent increase over four years.

Police research shows that truancy from school is also a factor in youth crime, with permanent exclusion also contributing to crime and disorder.

The audit aims to reduce the fear of crime as well as reducing the actual amount of crime across the district.

Local people have been asked for their fears and concerns through neighbourhood forums, 'speak out' panels and community surveys.

Residents of all ages and ethnic groups saw drug-taking as by far the greatest problem facing the district. They were particularly worried about drug dealing, the link between drugs and crime and the dumping of needles in public places.

Voluntary organisations stressed the need for drug dealers to be targeted by police and dealt with more effectively, and called for support for drug users.

People thought there was a particular need in Keighley town centre to work with people with drug and alcohol problems in order to cut crime and violent behaviour.

More than 70 per cent of local people were worried about their home being burgled and their car being damaged, stolen or broken into.

Around half were also concerned about robbery and mugging, vandalism and theft of personal property.

More women than men were worried about being attacked, with a third of women worried about being sexually assaulted. Under-25s were most concerned.

Young people were particularly anxious about street crimes such as mugging and attacks by gangs, and many were afraid of being harassed by police.

Older people saw violent crime and burglary as less of a problem than nuisance, vandalism and harassment.

Nearly 60 per cent of Asian and black people said they were worried about becoming a victim of a racial attack.

Racism was identified as a serious problem by Asian women, who particularly fear having their jewellery ripped off as they walk.

Although just three per cent of women had suffered domestic violence in the past year, at least 20 per cent were worried they would become a victim.

Victims and voluntary organisations called for such violence to be taken seriously by the authorities.

Asian women gave examples of domestic violence within their own communities but felt it was most common among Bengalis.

Research showed that prostitution, though centred on Bradford, exists across the district. Sexual exploitation of young girls and male prostitution were among concerns.

Extra police foot patrols would do the most to reduce neighbourhood crime, according to local people.

The most popular crime-fighting measures requested by residents also included police targeting of known villains and drug dealers, and more car patrols.

People felt improved street lighting and security cameras would make them feel safer but might not be effective in reducing crime.

And they believed other measures like job creation and activities for young people would cut crime but not make people feel safer.

Some people called for a need to develop a sense of community in order to combat crime and disorder. They suggested police raising public confidence by taking action where promised, and encouraging agencies to work together with communities. Asian groups felt that living in an identifiable community helped them feel less vulnerable, but expressed concerns about inter-communal problems.

Young people in Keighley have a better attitude towards the police than those of similar age in Bradford.

The audit found many youngsters do not report crimes because they have no confidence in the police. Their decisions not to report crimes were also affected by the fear of reprisals from offenders.

The audit found that overall most victims of burglary, mugging, car crime and arson report incidents, but less than a quarter report abusive behaviour or sexual harassment. While 60 per cent of racial attacks are reported to police, less than one in five victims of other racial harassment get in touch.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.