crime and the law Flashcards
branches of the police
mounted officers- used for crowd control, searching open lands such as moors, they have a height advantage and are very easy to spot. they are often seen at old firm games
dog hangers- used to sniff out drugs and track criminals. they under go specialist train and is held in the same regard as a fire arm as a use of force. David brown arrested £2 million worth of drugs found by a dog.
why do young people commit crimes
gangs- cause crime as there is an increase in peer pressure and knife violence between gangs is a huge problem. 35% of teens said they have committed a crime because of peer pressure
poor education- many young people drop out of school and have nothing to d since they are NEET not in employment education or train so they are owed and turn to crime as an alternative as well as to source money.
duties of the police
prevent crime- community policing helps to do this as having police patrolling the streets is a deterrent for many people as the police are seen to be protecting the public just by being there. criminals are much less likely to act if police are there. CCTV also contributes to preventing crime.
detecting criminals- police department such as the forensics play a huge role in investigating crime scenes and detecting criminals through finger prints etc. forensics plays a huge role in Aaron Campbells case.
cctv preventing crime
deterrent- criminals are such less likely to commit a crime if they know they are being watched by a cctv cameras that the police have access to. there are now over 2000 cameras attached t a central system and police have the right to access any cameras that would help an investigation
evidence- cctv cameras are full proof evidence when the picture quality is good enough. the cameras footage can be used in court to prove the guilt of a criminal.
adult court system
justice of the peace- this court deals with the less serious crimes such as driving offences or minor assaults. the JP is not legally qualified but the court is over seen by a qualified clerk. they can charge with 60 days in prison and or a fine up to £2500
the high court- deal with he most serious crimes such as murder rape and armed Robbery. it has a judge that decides the sentence and the jury decides the verdict. the sentence is always custodial upto life in prison. the usual sentence is around 13.5 years.
sherif court- there are two types the first being a summary procedure with only a sherif dealing with less serious civil offences such as divorce and bankruptcy, solemn cases the second with a sherif and jury that deals with and cases the happened in the sheriffdom except those felt with by the high court the highest sentence is 5 years in prison and an unlimited fine, if that is not enough he case can be sent to the high court
common crimes committed by young people
knife crime- carrying a weapon as well as actually using it are Both crimes committed by young people. claiming for protection, usually affiliated with gangs. in 2018 just under 5000 kids between 10-17 were involved in a knife crime.
theft- burglary or shoplifting is increasing in younger ages. they use it as a source of income. stealing to keep the gods or sell them on to make money.
community policing v cctv
cctv- prevents crime happening in those places but can just move to the places without cctv so doesn’t actually stop the crime from happening.
community policing- makes the public feel safer more effective deterrent. campus cops also count as community policing which is more effective in school as people can talk to the officer but cctv also works in school as pool may be reluctant to “snitch” to officers.
problems with prison
over crowded- prison are too full and it is beginning to cause issues because there are more prisoners than staff to control them. it affects the prisoners mental and physical health and there are higher rates of self harm and suicide. in 2021 prisons were at an occupancy rate of 103.3%
rehabilitation- even though rehabilitation programs are increasing across the country many prisons are failing at managing to get people to participate. at HMP Polmont £3 million as spent but only 40% of prisoners participate.
prisons are ineffective
sentences- prisoners do not spend their full sentence in prison and they often return to the same communities and reoffend and suggests the time in prison made no difference.
expensive- running a prison the way they are at the moment is extremely expensive. £40,000 a year could be saved to spend in more effective forms of rehabilitation. a 15 year sentence starting with the court case can cost up to £640,000
biological factors
sex and genes- men are more likely to commit crimes due to the higher levels of testosterone or having an extra chromosome makes people more aggressive by nature. in the prison population 1 in 100 have a extra chromosome compared to 1 in 1000 in the general population
poor mental health- issues such as ADHD can effect peoples decision making abilities often making them rash and unpredictable. Derek mcgill claims he could fill a full room of people in a prison of people with mental health issues and prison is the wrong place for them.
social factors
poor education- exclusion from school, living in a poor school catchment or dropping out before gaining a qualification can lead to a child being in NEET. this leads to crime, the child needs income or they join a gang out of boredom. in 2015 10% of prisoners were functionally illiterate.
alcohol- underage drinking, drunk driving or domestic abuse. drinking under the influence is caused as alcohol can blur vision and effect decision making as well as slow reaction. around 13% of road accidents include a drunk driver.
economic issues
poverty- a necessity do to so, families in poverty are more likely to steal material possessions to resale or keep as they are not finically able to buy them. 50% OF SCOTLAND INMATES WERE FROM THE 10% MOST DEPRIVED AREAS OF THE COUTRY.
social exclusion- people from more deprived areas feel lost in society due to their financial state. people who come form areas of social exclusion are much more likely to be the victim and perpetrators of crime as the areas are seen as crime hotspots. they turn to crime as they are unable to keep meaningful jobs, the benefits of crime outweigh the negatives. 21% OF THE UK POPULATION ARE LIVING IN BOTH AREAS OF POVERTY AND SOCIL EXCLUSION.
who are most effected by crime
elderly- criminal gangs target old people for financial scams due to their lack of knowledge with technology to rob them of their saving and other assets. some manage to gain entry into houses under false pretences like pretending to work for the gas company. TWO THIRDS OF THE ELDERLY FELT THEY WOULD INEVITABLE BECOME VICTIMS OF CRIME.
women- much more likely to become victims of domestic abuse and sexual abuse. the figures show this although many crimes of a sexual nature are less likely to be reported out of fear of the abuser finding out. AT LEAST 1 IN 4 WOMEN WILL BE A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC ABUSE IN THEIR LIFETIME.
consequences of crime on communities
financial burden- very often lies with the highest crime costs are the least able to afford it. the communities are unable to keep reaping the consequences of crime. shops are more likely to shut their doors when they live in fear of being a victim of crime. 30% of retail outlets in east Glasgow have boarded up shops as crime increases.
crime black spots- communities begin to get a negative reputation stoping people from moving into the areas. this can cause house prices to drop, businesses moving out and education standards dropping
consequences for perpetrators
employment- many jobs become off limits as soon as you get found guilty of a crime. most employers require a criminal record check and people can be turned away from jobs because of a crime even if their time is spent sex offenders are automatically stopped from working with children. lawyers and teachers require a criminal record check.
re-offending- most criminals are unable to gain a stable job so feel they have no choice but to go back into the world of crime and end up back in prison. the reoffending rate in Scotland is 45% in the first year of release.
