Section 17/17a (CDA 1998)

What Is Section 17?

Section 17 is a clause within the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which seeks to get local authorities and other specificed authorities to consider crime and disorder reduction and combating drug misuse when developing their general activities. The section places a duty on:

• Local Authorities
• Police Authorities
• Fire Authorities
• National Parks Authorities
• The BroadsAuthority

"Without prejudice to any other obligation imposed upon it, it shall be the duty of each authority … to exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all that it reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in its area (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment) and the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in its area”

Impact of Section 17

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (revised) places an obligation on local and other names authorities to consider the crime, disorder, environmental issues affecting the local area and substance misuse of all their activities and to do all they reasonably can to prevent them.

The purpose of the Section is to focus attention on the broader range of issues that these key agencies can contribute to which will enable safere communities. So that for instance, Police Authorities need to consider the inclsuion of substance misuse prevention and reduction in their development of their duties or Fire Authoties need to include the prevention of criminal damage in their business plans.  

This reflects the reality that there are crime and/or disorder implications in decisions made across the full range of statutory services, and to correct the current situation under which these implications are often not recognised at the time decisions are taken, with expensive consequences.

An example of the application of Section 17 reviewing local authority services to work with the victims of crime.

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