Environmental Crime Prevention

What is environmental crime prevention?

• Environmental crime prevention is influenced by the ideas of Wilson and Kelling's Broken Windows theory

• The right realist approach to crime prevention that looks to eliminate signs of disorder

What is broken windows theory?

• Broken Windows Theory suggested that the visible signs of neglect and disorder influenced levels of crime

• Areas of high deprivation had higher rates of crime and these had often been underfunded and ignored by the local government

What is zero tolerance policing?

• Environmental crime prevention is linked with zero tolerance policing - moving on homeless, shutting down bars and clubs

• The policy implemented in New York in the 1990s to clean up the streets - tackling street traders, beggars and drug dealing

What is environmental improvement?

• The second feature of environmental crime prevention is tackling signs of disorder - repairing broken windows, removing graffiti, rebuilding communities

• This led to accusations of gentrification making areas unaffordable for people to live in

What are the evaluations of environmental crime prevention?

• New York crime rates were dropping and additional police were utilised to enforce policy

• Change in the US economy lifted job prospects and made the city more affluent

• Environmental crime prevention is often used in conjunction with situational and community-based efforts

• Crime often displaced to other areas