Radio Links: A Case Study of a Cost-Effective Approach to Crime and Disorder

Abstract

A ‘radio link’ is a radio communication system which allows people facing similar crime risks to talk to and listen out for each other. Over the last seven years the introduction of radio links within towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom has taken place almost without comment from academics or security practitioners.

This case study will argue that radio links provide local authorities and the police service with a cost-effective means of achieving real reductions in incidents of crime and disorder, thus satisfying their statutory obligations under the Crime and Disorder Act.

The paper is somewhat unique, in being the first account of the history behind radio links, and in describing the types of systems in use today. It draws upon the limited available research to argue that the current national debate surrounding ‘police patrol’ and public reassurance is fundamentally flawed.