Home Office Research Study 265 - Reducing alcohol-related violence and disorder: an evaluation of the TASC project

Sep 14, 2026

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Evaluation report on the Tackling Alcohol-related Street Crime (TASC) project, a police-led multi-agency scheme in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay aimed at reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder. The study reviews a range of interventions, including police and licensed trade dialogue, improved door staff quality and behaviour, targeted policing at violence “hot spots”, and support for victims of alcohol-related assaults. Findings describe overall reductions in alcohol-related assaults and highlight examples of good practice for similar initiatives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages92

Reading Time3 h 52 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Executive summary

1 Introduction and overview

Context

Aims and approach of the TASC project

Organisation, staffing and roles

Evaluation approach and methodology

2 Implementation of the TASC project

Focused dialogue between the police and members of the licensed trade

Measures aimed at improving the quality and behaviour of door staff

Attempts to influence licensing policy and practice

Measures aimed at publicising the problem of alcohol-related violent crime

Targeted policing operations directed at crime and disorder hot spots

A cognitive behavioural programme for repeat offenders (COV-AID)

A training programme for bar staff (Servewise)

A programme of education about alcohol for school-age children

Support for victims of alcohol-related assaults attending hospital

Summarising comments on implementation

3 Patterns of violence and disorder in the city centre

The picture from the combined TASC database

Alternative pictures: police and A & E data

Summary

4 Crime reduction outcomes

Changes in violence and disorder in the target sectors

Changes at hot spots

Summary

5 Costs and cost-effectiveness

Context

Results

Conclusions

6 Summary and Conclusions

Outcomes

Lessons in good practice

Appendix A Map

Appendix B Additional tables and figures

Appendix C Additional data on cost effectiveness

References

Home Office Research Study 265 Reducing alcohol-related violence and disorder: an evaluation of the‘TASC’ project Mike Maguire and Hilary Nettleton with the assistance of Andrew Rix and Stephen Raybould The views expressed in this report are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the Home Office (nor do they reflect Government policy) . Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate March 2003 Home Office Research Studies The Home Office Research Studies are reports on research undertaken by or on behalf of the Home Office. They cover the range of subjects for which the Home Secretary has responsibility. Other publications produced by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate include Findings, Statistical Bulletins and Statistical Papers. The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Office's purpose is to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained. RDS is also part of National Statistics (NS). One of the aims of NS is to inform Parliament and the citizen about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and performance of government, allowing the impact of government policies and actions to be assessed. Therefore – Research Development and Statistics Directorate exists to improve policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use. First published 2003 Application for reproduction should be made to the Communications and Development Unit, Room 201, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AT. © Crown copyright 2003 ISBN 1 84082 999 0 ISSN 0072 6435 Foreword The growth of the night-time economy in many cities has resulted in heightened concern about associated crime and disorder, especially that of alcohol-related violence. The Tackling Alcohol-related Street Crime (TASC) project was a police-led multi-agency scheme aimed at reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. It involved a range of interventions including dialogue between the police and the licensed trade, measures aimed at improving the quality and behaviour of door staff, targeted policing operations and support for victims of alcohol-related assaults. The project was associated with an overall decrease in alcohol-related assaults in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. There were also significant reductions in violence and disorder associated with specific clubs against which targeted policing operations took place. This report describes the project and its main outcomes and highlights key examples of good practice for those seeking to implement similar projects. Chris Kershaw Crime and Policing Group Research, Development and Statistics Directorate Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank all members of the TASC project team, and all the partner organisations involved, for generously giving of their time to assist the evaluation, as well as providing a great deal of valuable data. We would also like to thank the following individuals for their help in providing extra information and commenting on early drafts of this report: Professor Roy Light, University of West of England; Professor Jonathon Shepherd, University of Wales College of Medicine; Inspector Tony Rees, South Wales Police; Victoria Swainson, data analyst; and the anonymous reviewers appointed by the Home Office. Finally, special thanks to Fiona McLean and Karen Bullock of the Home Office Crime and Policing Group for their patience and assistance in guiding and facilitating the project. The Home Office Crime and Policing Group would like to thank Verity Ridgman of the Property and Road Crime Reduction Unit and

FAQs

What was the TASC project designed to achieve?

The Tackling Alcohol-related Street Crime (TASC) project aimed to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay through coordinated, multi-agency interventions.

Which interventions does the report describe as part of TASC?

The report covers police and licensed trade dialogue, measures to improve door staff quality and behaviour, targeted policing at “hot spots”, a repeat-offender cognitive behavioural programme (COV-AID), training for bar staff (Servewise), education about alcohol for school-age children, and support for hospital-attending victims.

What outcomes does the evaluation report highlight?

The project was associated with an overall decrease in alcohol-related assaults in Cardiff and Cardiff Bay, including significant reductions in violence and disorder linked to specific clubs where targeted policing operations were carried out.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Aldword