title: Do community characteristics predict alcohol-related crime?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol-related crime is a substantial community problem. There is evidence to suggest that certain geographic areas experience higher rates of alcohol-related crime and that both individual and community factors are associated with alcohol-related crime. There is limited research at the community level despite communities being the target of interventions designed to reduce alcohol-related harm. This study aims to determine whether there are differences in alcohol-related crime at the community level and examines whether certain community characteristics are associated with increased alcohol-related crime.
  
  
  METHODS
  Routinely collected police data from 20 rural communities in New South Wales, Australia were analysed. The ratio of alcohol to non-alcohol-related criminal incidents was used as a proxy for alcohol-related crime. Predictor variables were population-adjusted community characteristics, including demographic and resource variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regression analyses suggest that there are differences between communities in alcohol-related crime. Less socioeconomic disadvantage and more GPs and licensed premises (pubs and clubs) are associated with greater alcohol-related crime at the community level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreasing the socioeconomic well-being of a community is not appropriate; however, introducing additional taxes to increase the cost of alcohol may decrease consumption and therefore alcohol-related crime. Reducing or capping the number of licensed premises, specifically the number of pubs and clubs, may be an appropriate strategy to reduce alcohol-related crime in rural communities.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, School of Public Health and Community, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. courtney.breen@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakeshaft
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Este
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mattick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D016495:Police; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol