Evidence is soon to be published of a link between the introduction of universal credit into an area and a rise in crime, according to leading professor of policing.
Ben Bradford, professor of global city policing, University College London, told Civil Service World:
“Violent crime clusters very heavily in deprived neighbourhoods... this is not rocket science. Violent crime is more likely to occur in poorer neighbourhoods because they are poor, and being poor has an effect.”
Bradford is part of a team at UCL that has been researching the impact of Universal Credit on crime.
The findings are being reviewed and are yet to be published. But Bradford says there appears to be “quite a strong” link. We found quite a strong effect. The introduction of Universal Credit into an area looked like it had the effect of increasing recorded crime in that area.”
