DAATs (Drugs and Alcohol Action Teams) and CDRPs (Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships) are expected to have merged in unitary authorities and to have developed close working relationships in 2 tier authorities. Increasingly, the merged DAATs and CDRPs are being managed within an overarching framework of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) who are responsible for developing a Community Strategy for each area. Here crime and drugs issues will be addressed alongside other priority themes including young people, regeneration, environment and community participation. It is intended that the funding and prioritisation mechanisms for all LSPs will eventually be by Local Area Agreements (LAAs). According to the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister:

‘Local Area Agreements are a new way of working to build a more flexible and responsive relationship between central government and a locality on the priority outcomes that need to be achieved at local level. Achieving this new relationship will require a significant shift in the way central and local government relate to each other and to other local partners.’[x]

Local Area Agreements are an extension of the principle of Local Public Service Agreements. These provide financial incentives to local areas who meet targets on a set of priorities brokered between themselves and central government, based on local needs and national priorities.  Local Area Agreements will be the mechanism for setting out the needs priorities and targets in order to trigger government funding.

There have been 9 pilot sites for Local Area Agreements in 2005/6. These will be extended to cover all Counties and Unitary Authorities from 2006. The first steps to reconfigure funding mechanisms have been taken with the creation of the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund from April 2005. The Fund combines previous funding streams of the Home Office - building safer communities, anti-social behaviour and funding through Government Offices – and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) - New Ventures Fund, Liveability fund, community programmes, Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders, Neighbourhood Wardens.  

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