reponses to crime Flashcards
role/powers/effectiveness of police
investigate crime
police respond to crime and collect statements and evidence from crime scene. This is effective as it can ensure the correct person is prosecuted and punished
police may collect CCTV or DNA from crime scene
to prevent crime from happening
police presence in the community will act as deterrent. They also have the power to stop and search. This is effective as it helps to remove dangerous objects from the streets.
for example 1 in 3 stop and searches in Scotland are successful
ineffectiveness of the police
ineffective due to cuts in police numbers
do not have enough staff to deal with high number of cases. Meaning there is a delay in responding to calls and gathering evidence
for example there has been around 1000 less police since 2020
ineffective due to failing stop and searches
police have been accused of bias and stopping wrong people. most people they are stopping aren’t involved in crime therefore they aren’t stopping dangerous items from being on the streets
for example 2 out of 3 stop and searches are unsuccessful
role / purpose/ effectiveness of prisons
rehabilitate offenders
prisons will offer classes and activities to help prisoners build skills. This is effective as it can help them get a job after their release
only 25% of prisoners that served long term go on to reoffend
to keep the public safe
remove people considered a risk from society
reassures the public is safe and is effective because it keeps those who are violent in a secure location
for example Lucy letby who was considered a danger may never be released
ineffectiveness of prisons
ineffective due to overcrowding
prisons are unable to run rehabilitation programmes and classes due to high number of prisoners and low staff numbers
over half of short term offenders go on to reoffend
ineffective at keeping public safe due to overcrowding
means most prisoners are likely to get away with certain behaviours, including assaults drug use and even being able to escape
for example in 2023 a terrorist managed to escape from an overcrowded prison
alternatives to prisons (why they’re more successful)
prisons are too expensive cost of
keeping prisoner is expensive yet has a high re-offending rate compared to punishments like community orders or fines
prisons cost £40,000 per year per prisoner yet half of short stay offenders re-offend
allows perpetrator to keep employment
being issued with an electronic tag means perpetrator will be punished but still able to function in society
many tags restrict movement between 7pm and 7am
government responses to crime
working with police to produce adverts
government may produce adverts highlighting problems in society. This is effective as it helps raise awareness around issues
For example Scottish Gov produced “that guy” advert about male violence and behaviour in Scotland
increase police budget
increased budget allows them to hire more officers which makes responding and investigating crime quicker and more efficient
for example police Scotland budget has increased to almost 1.5 billion
