Crime prevention Flashcards
Newman’s defensible space
Newman argues when a residential area have little/no defensible space, there is more crime
Found Van Dyke (high rise flats) had higher levels of crime than Brownsville (walk-up buildings + courtyards)
Thought that communal areas helped develop sense of community + had more defensible space
Zimbardo experiment findings
left two cars with bonnets up in the Bronx (poor area new york) and Palo Alto (affluent area of California)
Within 10 mins of abandonment, people started stealing parts of care
In Palo Alto, nothing happened. After Zimbardo smashed part of car, a week passed and found locals started damaging car, 2 hrs later car was demolished
Zimbardo validity
Low, there was issues with objectivity in observations in Palo Alto after damaging car + interacting with passers
Good ecological validity - people in neighbourhoods behaved naturally
Broken Windows theory
If one broken window left unrepaired, vandals would break remaining windows.
Sends signal no one is in charge so theirs no consequences
Crime increases as if one person commits a crime and nothing is done, crimes will increase.
= criminal norms become accepted
= prosocial norms are disregarded
therefore need to maintain order
Zero-tolerance policing
relentless order maintenance and aggressive law enforcement against minor crimes eg. littering, graffiti
+ reduce crime between 1990-2009
+ has reduced crime in US+UK cities
Study found ZTP reduced overall crime rate by 27% in Hartlepool
KEY RESEARCH - WILSON + KELLING ON BROKEN WINDOWS
Article describes how features of neighbourhoods can influence crime rates, the changing role of police and strategies to maintain order
Article was based on observation by Kelling after police foot patrol in New Jersey
KEY RESEARCH - WILSON + KELLING ON BROKEN WINDOWS
- safe neighbourhoods + broken theory
- police-officers role
safe neighbourhoods + broken theory
> thought safe neighbourhoods were created by having police foot patrols
(enforce rules eg. telling nosy teens to be quiet)
> broken window theory - neglect properties improved, makes community feel area is safe and worth reporting crimes eg, drug dealing
police officers role
> support communities in maintaining order
> should work on preventing crime not just catch criminals
KEY RESEARCH - WILSON + KELLING ON BROKEN WINDOWS
- targeting police resources
- zero tolerance policing
targeting police resources
> concentrate foot patrols in areas at tipping point (public order deteriorating bur reclaimable)
> useless in high crime area
> Guardian Angels (voluntary crime prevention) to increase sense of public order
zero tolerance policing
> police foot patrols prevent crime where its increasing and zero-tolerance policing should be used to stop things getting worse
KEY RESEARCH - WILSON + KELLING ON BROKEN WINDOWS
Key conclusions
Police are key in maintaining public order
Foot patrols don’t catch criminals but prevent crime form occurring
Police need to identify neighbourhoods where crime is increasing + zero tolerance policing is used to prevent further deterioration
Disorder and crime are linked (broken windows)
KEY RESEARCH - WILSON + KELLING ON BROKEN WINDOWS
- ethnocentrism
- reliability
- validity
ETHNOCENTRISM
- evidence came from walling in Newark New Jersey, USA
foot patrol officers in run down areas
- focused only on USA
- crime + crime prevention strategies are different in USA
eg. china have different approach to crime prevention
RELIABILITY
- no interrater reliability as all done by Kelling
VALDIDTY
- ecological validity
- observing peoples behaviour in real life
- police officers could’ve changed behaviours if he was observing them
- reduced validity as subjective interpretation
Crime Prevention Strategies
1) Focused deterrence ‘ Pulling Levers’ Policing
2) Target hardening
Explain Focused deterrence
Deterrence is action of discouraging an action or event through instilling fear of consequences
HOW
= focus on serious criminals who committed multiple crimes
= offering support eg. housing + job training
= telling them there’s swift consequences if commit another crime
= could focus of drug dealing + gangs
WHY
= study found 63% reduced youth homicides by ‘pulling leavers’ policing in Boston,USA
= offers support to criminals
= helps offenders by offering services
Explain target hardening
enhances security of building by making it more difficult + less attractive target
HOW
=installing CCTV, security controls, shutters in homes/shops so harder to steal from
WHY
= Newman said housing with defensible space reduces crime
= Study found significant reduction in vandalism + theft on housing estate when sued fences + electronic access to buildings
Socially sensitive research
implications for society and policing
zero tolerance policing
- violated civil rights especially minority groups
- because police officers enforce law without consideration of context/severity of act
benefits of zero-tolerance policing
- reduces crime
- NY crime rate reduced by twice as much as other cities
- arresting young people for minor crimes makes people more safe in environment
