Crime Reduction

Question 1

Preventative techniques could be organised under what three headings?

Pease (2002) adds a fourth heading…?

Answer 1

Increasing the effort (e.g target hardening)
Increasing the risks (e.g CCTV)
Reducing the rewards (e.g marketing property)

Reducing the excuses or in other words making it harder for the offender to provide a valid or appropriate rationale for why they have carried out certain acts, and perhaps in the process making them feel guilty or ashamed.

Question 2

Routine activity theory (Felson, 2002) suggests some other approaches that may be used for crime reduction?

Answer 2

For example, ensuring that motivated offenders are not left unobserved where there are easily criminal targets, for example, goods that could be stolen.

The number of motivated offenders does not have to be reduced in order to reduce crime; they simply need to be monitored more closely.

Goods could also be redesigned so they’re more difficult to sell on.

Question 3

Methods for the prevention of hot spots

Answer 3

The persistent presence of police officers would undoubtedly have a deterrent effect, although this cannot be sustained for long due to cost.

CCTV can be used a short term solutions.

To ‘design out’ crime is a longer term and better solution. For example, installing carefully designed walkways and street lighting.

Intelligence- analysts can consider the types of crime, the times when they occur, the types of people who commit those crimes and the seasonal impact (if any) upon the nature of the crime.

Question 4

Crime prevention advice: what sort of things should be considered?

Answer 4

Crime should be considered from the perspective of the victim, the offender and the location.

Pertinent questions can then be asked about why crime has occurred, and this can help provide the basis of the practical solutions.

Tailor crime prevention messages towards young people, childrenand those at particular risks within online environments.

Question 5

What is displacement?

Answer 5

Crume prevention can lead to displacement: crimes are not prevented but merely displaced to other places or a later time.

Displacement is often explained as a consequence of criminality: those with a disposition to commit crimes will adapt and find different ways to do it.

Question 6

What types of displacement have been identified?

Answer 6

Temporal displacement: crime takes place at a later time (e.g security guard at a particular time = do it another time).

Spatial displacement: crime happens at another location.

Displacement by type of crime: criminals turn to different types of crime.

Displacement by innovation: criminals become better at what they do (stealing credit cards instead of cash).