Crime Prevention

Question 1

How can crime be prevented

Answer 1

• Situational crime prevention (SCP) - Right realists
• Environmental crime prevention - Right realists
• Social and community based prevention - Left realists
• punishment
• surveillance

Question 2

SCP definition

Answer 2

• Clarke - SCP is a pre-emptive approach that relies on reducing opportunities of crime - ‘control the situation’
• Saw crime as a rational choice, where the criminal weighs up the cost benefit of doing the crime
• this suggests a target hardening approach is needed

Question 3

Three features of measures aimed at SCP - Clarke

Answer 3

1 - directed at specific crimes
2- involve managing or altering the immediate environment of the victim
3- aim to increase the effort and risks of committing crime as well as reducing the rewards

Question 4

Felson - example of SCP

Answer 4

• The Port Authority Bus terminals poor design was a perfect location for deviant conduct such as luggage thefts, rough sleeping, homosexual liaisons and drug dealing
• Solution – to replace the large sinks in which the homeless people were bathing with smaller ones

Question 5

Evaluations of SCP

Answer 5

• It does not reduce crime it just displaces it : Chaiken et al found that subway robberies in NY just moved to the streets above
• It tends to focus on petty street crimes – so doesn’t explain corporate/state crime (a Marxist criticism)
• Assumes rational choice by criminals but ignores the root cause of crime (Left realists)
• Surveillance may lead to unwanted labelling, prejudice and stereotyping

Question 6

What are the 5 types of displacement?

Answer 6

1- Spatial - moving elsewhere to commit crime
2- Temporal - commiting crime at different times
3- Target - choosing a different victim
4- Tactical - using a different method
5- functional - commiting a different type of crime

Question 7

What is Environmental crime prevention?

Answer 7

• Wilson and Kelling
• Crime prevention through environmental design - ‘control the environment’
• based on the theory that proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime

Question 8

Broken window thesis

Answer 8

• Used to describe signs of disorders / lack of concerns for others
• Leaving “broken windows” unrepaired sends out a signal that no one cares

Question 9

Strategies based on broken window thesis

Answer 9

• Environmental improvement strategy : any broken windows must be repaired immediately
• Zero tolerance policy: proactive tackling of any sign of disorder