Cardiff University - Anti-crime initiative praised

A scheme set up by a Cardiff University medic to cut alcohol-fuelled violent crime has been recommended by the Government as a model for other cities. The Cardiff Partnership, set up 12 years ago by Jonathan Shepherd, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, used data from accident and emergency departments to identify hotspots and peak times for violence, potential victims and trends in weapons use. Ten years after the scheme began, assaults in the city's pubs and clubs had fallen by 31 per cent and there was a 40 per cent drop in the number of patients needing emergency treatment. Professor Shepherd started the scheme after being shocked by the number of cases ending up on NHS operating tables that were never reported to the police.