Community safety and homophobic crime

This article considers the impact of the Crime And Disorder Act (1998) on the issue of ‘homophobic crime’ in England and Wales. It considers research and survey work conducted by local authorities into ‘hidden crime’, specifically the problem of homophobic crime. The article identifies and analyses a number of local authority reports, crime audits and crime strategies. It speculates as to why greater salience is accorded to certain ‘types’ of hidden crime particularly that of domestic violence and racist crime rather than homophobic crime. Finally it looks at the police response to ‘homophobic crime’ and recent initiatives in this field undertaken by some police forces.