Policy Solutions to Crime

Question 1

What are the three approaches to crime solution?

Answer 1

Prevention, policy and punishment

Question 2

What does Right Realism suggest?

Answer 2

Clarke - most theories offer no realistic solution to crime. We need to tackle the IMMEDIATE SITUATION, reducing the opportunity to commit crime - situational crime prevention

Question 3

What are the three features of situational crime prevention?

Answer 3

Directed at specific crimes
Alters immediate environment
Increases effort/risk while decreasing reward of crime

Question 4

What is an evaluation of crime?

Answer 4

Pos - may be highly effective

Neg - may displace crime (spatial, temportalm target, functional)’ CCTV criticised for ‘intrusion’

Question 5

What did Shaw and McKay suggest (R Realism)?

Answer 5

Environmental crime prevention (linked to Baldwin and Bottoms ‘tipping)

Question 6

What did Wilson (R Realism) say would reduce crime?

Answer 6

Leaving signs of community breakdown (eg broken windows) increases crime. To tackle:
Environmental improvement strategy (increasing community responsibility)
Zero tolerance policing

Question 7

What did zero tolerance policing in NYC in the 1990s reduce and what by?

Answer 7

Reduced homicides by 50%

Question 8

What do Left Realists advocate?

Answer 8

Community crime prevention
Government needs to tackle inequalities
Consensus policing

Question 9

Which study supports Left Realist’s views?

Answer 9

Perry Pre-School Project found ‘enrichment programmed’ for 3-4 year olds drastically reduced arrests by the age of 40

Question 10

What do Feminists advocate for situational crime prevention

Answer 10

‘Safer streets’, eg more lighting and safer layout

Question 11

What does Newbern (Feminist) find?

Answer 11

Feminists are critical of policies which blame women for their own victimisation: they increase fear, reducing women’s freedom, not tackling the causes of crime

Question 12

What did Baroness Stern’s 2010 report find?

Answer 12

80% rape victims do not report

38% sexual assaults were not reported

Question 13

Which changes did Baroness Stern’s report lead to?

Answer 13

Specially changed police; right to give evidence in recorded video; recognition that 8% victims are male; campaign to change cultural perceptions

Question 14

What did Stanley Cohen suggest?

Answer 14

Formal social control is now more penetrating (eg CCTV, curfew) - ‘ever growing invisible net of control’

Question 15

What has incarceration increased by?

Answer 15

70% from 1993 to 2005

Question 16

What did Hobbs find?

Answer 16

The rise in private security has displaced crime into deprived areas, which are then more heavily policed (Winlow - nightime economy)