Preventing crime - 24/02/25

Defining crime prevention

"Crime Prevention comprises strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes" (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2002, p. 3)

Importance of crime prevention

• Enhances public safety (thus reducing victimisation)

• Creates safer communities

• Reduces the financial burden on society

• Contributes to sustainable development

• Empowers individuals and communities to take control of their own safety

Historical development / approaches

• Dates back to 1748 when Henry Fielding created the first neighbourhood watch

• Sir Robert Peel formed the Metropolitan Police (Bobby’s on the beat)

• Early reliance on severe punishments as a deterrent, i.e. capital punishment or flogging/whipping

• Modern crime prevention approaches combine both deterrence with rehabilitation and try to address underlying social issues, recognising complex contributing factors to offending behaviour.

Different types of crime prevention

• Primary prevention: Addressing the root causes

• Secondary prevention: Targeting ‘at-risk’ groups

• Tertiary prevention: Reducing harm and recidivism

Criminological theories related to crime prevention

• Rational Choice Theory

• Routine Activities Theory

• Crime pPattern Theory

• Broken Windows Theory

• Strain Theory

• Social Learning Theory

Crime prevention strategies

• Social CrimePrevention

• Community Crime Prevention

• Environmental Crime Prevention

• Situational Crime Prevention

  
  

Social Crime prevention

• Concentration on preventing the offenders rather than the crime

• Most are aimed at young people

  • Aims to address needs early to prevent further adult offending

• Seeks to address the various theories surrounding why people commit crime

Community crime prevention

How can the community prevent crime?

• Work with central agencies (ie. reporting issues asap)

• Identify and seek to solve issues themselves (ie. implement clubs/ societies)

• Communication throughout the community (ie. social media, notice boards)

Examples of community crime prevention:

• Members act as eyes and ears of the police

• Signage shows potential offenders that they are being watched

• Members get crime prevention advice about themselves and their property

Business community crime prevention:

• Members act as eyes and ears for the police and each other

• Radio communication between stored/venues

  • Immediate effect to prevent further crimes

• Joint enforcement of sanctions

  • Supporting each other’s businesses

Issues with social and community crime prevention

• Inconsistent methods

• Resource Limitations

• Insufficient evaluation

• Coordination difficulties

• Failure to address root causes

• Public confidence and engagement

  
  

Environmental crime prevention

What do we mean by the environment?

• The nature of the buildings where we live (or work, play or study)

• The buildings relationship to its surrounding spaces and location in neighbourhood

• The neighbourhoods relationship to the rest of the town/countryside

• The location of the region/country

How does the environment impact crime?

• Dark, cold, scary, uncertain – ‘I’m not staying here’

• Badly designed products – accidents

• Positive or negative impacts

• Design can impact on learning experiences

• Design can impact on crime and criminality

Environmental considerations:

• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED):

  • Territoriality – the subdivision of buildings/grounds to discourage ‘outsiders’ and encourage residents to ‘defend’ areas

  • Surveillance – the design of buildings to allow easy
    observation

  • Image – improve the design of public housing to avoid stigma

  • Environment – placing public housing projects nearby

Issues with CPTED:

• It is people that commit crimes, not the environments

• Designs are for rational thinkers

• Designs are not universal

• CPTED displaces crime rather than preventing

Situational crime prevention

• Concentrates on smaller changes to the physical environment

• Focus on preventing the offence (ignores the offender)

25 principles divided into 5 categories:

1. Increase the effort

   • Harden targets

   • Control access

   • Screenexits

   • Deflect offenders

   • Control tools/weapons

2. Increase the risk

   • Extend guardianship

   • Assist natural surveillance

   • Reduce anonymity

   • Utilise place manager

   • Strengthen formal surveillance

3. Reduce the rewards

   • Conceal targets

   • Remove targets

   • Identify property

   • Disrupt markets

   • Deny benefits

4. Reduces provocations

   • Reduce frustrations and stress

   • Avoid disputes

   • Reduce emotional arousal

   • Neutralise peer pressure

   • Discourage imitation

5. Remove excuses

   • Set rules

   • Post instructions

   • Alert conscience

   • Assist compliance

   • Control drugs and alcohol

Issues with situational crime prevention

• Geographical displacement

• Target displacement

• Temporal displacement

• Tactical displacement

• Crime type displacement

• Perpetrator displacement

• Fails to address the causes

• Leads to fortress society