Crime Prevention Program - Research Paper Example

 Crime Prevention Program Table of Contents Crime Prevention Program 1 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Evaluation and Conclusions 9 References 13 Introduction Definition Crime prevention is the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of some action to remove or reduce it. It can be said to be a pattern of attitudes and behaviors directed at reducing the threat of crime and enhancing the sense of safety and security, to positively influence the quality of life in our society, and to develop environments where crime cannot flourish Overview of Situational crime prevention (SCP) Situational crime prevention (SCP) approach distinctly varies in its theoretical orientation from the mainstream criminological expositions. SCP has a practical focus. The wider acceptability of this practice was due to various factors. This may include the virtual failures of the traditional methods of crime prevention and control and consistently eroding confidence of people in the traditional styles of performance of criminal justice agencies. Typically in most countries of the globe, the discussion centred largely on how the police could be made more result oriented and justice dissension a quicker one. The pursuits like these took enormous time but the results were still not very convincing. The people and sections of the society seem to crave for something that could bring an instant and visible check on criminal practices taking place in their immediate environs. In the recent past, the measures of situational crime prevention were able to satisfy these expectations of people to a great extent. The focus in situational crime prevention remains in the setting and context of crime rather than on criminals. It makes the criminal action difficult by making the target inaccessible through several techniques based on the manipulation of environment and applications of technology. SCP works on the premise that the crime reduction is possible if the opportunities for crime are significantly reduced. This objective is achievable in various ways. Sometimes it may be by making the target less accessible and less vulnerable (‘target hardening’), by increasing natural and techno-surveillance or by making criminal action more risky and gains less rewarding. Paradoxically, the lead in all such initiatives is not taken by the criminal justice agencies as SCP techniques may be implemented by a ‘multi agencies partnership’ of all basic community institutions such as school, municipals, health centres, transport authority, business enterprise, communication departments, entertainment centres like cinema, clubs, theatres etc. The notion that the public safety can no longer remain the exclusive domain of the criminal justice system, but should also be pursued through other state institutions and non-governmental organizations is gaining ground these days. The pro activism in the recent efforts in crime prevention has replaced the reactive approaches in crime control. The shift from offender to victim and environment has altered the shape of crime prevention. Instead of crime alone fear, public order and sense of security in the community have come to the agenda. The key concepts in SCP, according to Gilling, (1997), are opportunity and physical environment. SCP is defined as those interventions designed to prevent the occurrence of crimes, especially by reducing opportunities and increasing risk. (Tony and Ferrington, 1995). SCP is about the practical ways to reduce crime. The business establishment, banks, public transporters, shopping centers, housing society managers, entertainment industries, factory owners and residents in the community are always concerned with the security against any offending practices. They tend to seek for measures those could immediately deliver the results. They look for ways and means capable of visibly discouraging criminals’ movements. The emergence of CCTV, electronic alarms, swipe cards, computer chips for identification, password, and screening devises, secured parking systems, hidden cameras are the product of the growing concern to quickly respond to crime problem. Remarkably, these situational effective measures have had a history of efficient performance in all parts of the world. Situational Crime Prevention Techniques Apparently, the SCP comprises specially customized measures to reduce the opportunity for specific crimes. The SCP techniques or measures signify the control, planning and manipulation of the immediate environment or setting in as systematic and permanent a manner as possible. The measures are meant to transmit a message to likely offenders that the attempts required to execute crime and the risks associated have amplified, and that the pay offs that can be attained through crime have significantly diminished. The SCP applies highly specific techniques in the opportunity reduction for any offending behaviour. Ranges of such technological and managerial initiatives have shown encouraging results in the USA. Clarke (1997) has developed a sixteen techniques model for opportunity reduction that is being used everywhere with appropriate modifications. Here is an overview of five of the major ones. 1. Target hardening Securing the target with the help of technologies/designs/tactics is called target hardening. This is also about making targets more resistant to attack or more difficult to remove or damage. The use of locks, screen, and shields are some popular ways. The use of a slur rejecter devise has significantly reduced the use of slur in parking machines. Likewise, the use of transparent screen and anti-bandit screens are considered to have cut down assaults incidence and robberies in the USA by 40 percent. A mention of electronic surveillance in target hardening will be appropriate here. The Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a method to discourage shoplifting. Introduced in 1968-69, this technology has proved to be an effective anti-shoplifting measure. 2. Access control This measure is applied to ‘defend space’ by checking the offenders’ access to offices, factories, apartments or in any buildings. In the USA this has resulted in good amount of risk reduction. The measures like use of PIN numbers for accessing bank accounts or computer, installation of entry phones, dialling the code to gain access have considerably cut the incidence of burglary, thefts, and robberies in the USA. 3. Deflecting offenders This situational measure applies the logical segregation or exclusion of likely offenders. To avoid the incidence of brawls in the closing time of pubs, the scheduling of last buses with the closing time of pubs has worked significantly. Street closures, separate public facilities for women and rescheduling the conveyance routes at the time of public functions are similar such measures. 4. Controlling facilitators The studies in the USA of injury of potential kinds of broken glass have led to recommendations that toughened or plastic material glasses be used in the pubs and beer bars. Disabling the stolen cell phones or similar goods was found be another effective way in this regard. 5. Entry/exit screening The electronic methods of screening in entry and exit checking are in use in all important points in the USA. Elements of the crime triangle that SCP seeks to address The present structure of SCP is essentially based on some crime theories developed with situational perspectives in crime occurrence. Routine Activity Theory – that explains that crime is often a result of a triangle – victim, offender and lack of capable guardian. The convergence of these three variables: a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian against crime are invariably result in crime occurrence. Opportunity Theory – seeks to re-emphasise opportunity as a cause of crime, regardless of criminal inclinations. Opportunity is necessary and is the single principle that governs the theory of how settings cause crime. The easy or tempting opportunities entice people into criminal action. Felson & Clarke (1998) elaborated the opportunity and crime model by suggesting ten principles. These are as under: 1.Opportunities play a role in causing all crime 2.Crime opportunities are highly specific 3. Crime opportunities are concentrated in time and space 4. Crime opportunities depend on everyday movements 5. One crime produces opportunities for another 6. Some products offer more tempting crime opportunities 7. Social and technological changes produce new crime opportunities 8. Opportunities for crime can be reduced 9. Reducing opportunities does not usually displace crime 10. Focussed opportunity reduction can produce wider declines in crime Situational Crime Prevention - this approach takes an offender’s motives and propensities as given and therefore seeks to influence the offender’s decision or ability to commit crimes at particular places and times. Success of SCP in crime reduction SCP has had a wide effect on crime reduction. The main areas being the following. 1. Car park security enhancements. Research covering car parks in Washington and elsewhere found that risks of theft were highest in unstaffed car parks, especially those where cars were left for long periods. Staffed entrances greatly reduced theft of vehicles, though theft of contents could still be a problem. Car parks where attendants parked the cars had by far the lowest rates of theft.Thefts of components and contents were found to be higher where car parks served as pedestrian thoroughfares. (Clarke & Mayhew, 1998) 2. Fitting approved security devices. A study found that vehicles with an approved device fitted to them were less likely to be stolen than the population of cars as a whole. High and low risks of theft associated with cars fitted with security were calculated at between 2.8 and 18.5 thefts per 1,000 compared to 21 thefts per 1,000 in the general population. 3. Improved lighting. Small-scale studies suggest that better lighting may reduce crime and incivilities in localised areas, at least in the short term. An evaluation of area-wide lighting improvements found these were popular and reassuring for the public but did not reduce crime to any great extent. 4. Increased CCTV coverage. This has been effective where it is clear what impact the scheme is meant to have, and where the right conditions are in place for the cameras to have the intended effect. Works best as part of an integrated and evolving package of measures Evaluation and Conclusions The present study is aimed at taking an overview of the practices in situational crime prevention in the USA. The idea was to develop an insight in to this strategy so that similar initiatives, with appropriate adoptions, could be carried out in case of India. The Report has been brought out in primarily keeping with this audience in view. However, certain observations and conceptual evaluation concerning the boundaries of the SCP may be interest to the criminologists and crime reductionists in the USA. This Chapter proposes many new ideas for consideration and practice in the process of situational crime prevention. The Emerging features of SCP The objective here is to highlight some significant features of SCP approach in the USA. The following characteristics emerged clearly in this exercise. 1.Matured progression: SCP did not take place abruptly. It was the result of innovation and experimentation carried out in the USA in the last three decades. A brief account of history of crime prevention efforts, as provided earlier in this report, in the USA makes it clear. It was largely the result of realization that much crime can be avoided by simply targeting the opportunities. The opportunity reduction model of crime prevention got significant amount of official support in the USA. 2. Focused and target oriented: The reason of the preference and popularity of SCP amongst policy makers and practitioners is due to its practicability and specificity. 3. Problem oriented: The law enforcement agencies applied it successfully as it aimed at specific problems. 4.Tactical and Managerial: It’s also about skills based on aptitude of wide varieties. 5. Pro active: Being pro active in nature, it carries capability to reduce crime significantly. 6. Evidence based crime reduction: Earlier efforts in crime prevention were not certain in terms of amount of crime cut by them. SCP is evidence based that works on pre decided target and shows in the end the extent of crime reduced by it. 7. Technological inputs: The use of technology is the highlight of this approach. 8. Efficient and quick: SCP is efficient. The results starts coming, the moment it applies. 9. Stake holder based: It effectively caters to the requirements of the stakeholders. Critique of Major arguments in SCP Crime Triangle: The Crime Triangle argues that when a crime occurs, three things happen at the same time and in the same space: a suitable target is available, there is the lack of a capable guardian to prevent the crime from happening and a likely and motivated offender is present. This is the core postulate in the Crime Triangle theory and the foundation of SCP. Some arguments are being advanced here to look beyond it. The first issue pertains to the matter of capability of guardians. Needless to state that capable guardian factor becomes crucial in the occurrence of crime. Situational criminologists have not gone further about the dynamics of this factor. Presumably, this factor does not seem to be a static phenomenon and its nature and variation can have bearing on victimization. Following propositions are being presented below to widen the theoretical gamut of this approach. Capability of guardians is relative and dynamic. Hence, it would respond differently to the offending advancements. And the likelihood of victimization would also rest on it. Capability is specific. This may not respond to all offending initiatives equally. This may prove to be a deterrent to one offence but not the other. The guardian’s capability and offender’s capability come in to clash in the process of crime. The outcome would depend on who overpowers whom. A security guard with old-fashioned gun at the door of Bank may seem to be capable but he may be a failure in facing a better-equipped offender. This is the case as to how superiority in capability affects the outcome of incident. To occur a crime, the suitability of target ought to match with offender’s capability. Here the mere ‘motivation’ may not be enough. Like, a motivated offender cannot do fraud or forgery for want of specific capability to commit the act. Capability may not necessarily be the third dimension of the triangle. Sometimes, the capability may relate to target itself. In such case, the target’s perceived suitability may be misleading. The ‘potential but capable victim’ may change the course of the event. Target’s suitability is perceived and not absolute. This is why some targets cannot be overpowered and some capabilities do not seem to work always. The factor of ‘motivation’ is also dynamic. Sometimes motivation may not be so intrinsic and this may be situationally charged. The opportunity creation in the context of behaviour of three dimensions of Crime Triangle (target, guardian and offender) may not necessarily follow the conventional route. In other words, this may not be the product of routine interaction amongst the three. There can be extraneous factors that may create, maintain and manipulate the opportunities for crime commissions. Conclusions Some broad conclusions emerging out of the study can be summarized as below: 1. The situational crime prevention ought to be viewed as a dynamic application. The need to widen its approach and applications in the newer setting and crimes is therefore imperative. 2. SCP needs to be clearly located in the theoretical boundaries of criminological research. An attempt in this study has been made to this effect. 3. SCP thinkers and practitioners will have to find satisfying answers to displacement factor. 4. SCP needs to be tailored to respond other variety of crime. It can have applicability in cases of certain economic, violent crimes and terrorist crimes. 5. Almost no research exists as to whether SCP would work in the changing context or not. The most SCP practices were carried out and evaluated in case UK, USA or Australia. The applicability of SCP in developing countries, diversified regions, and relatively lesser techno-oriented societies etc. is yet to be explored. 6. SCP has many success stories in the UK and USA where the crimes rates have shown visible reduction due these measures. 7. The issue of sustainability of SCP in long term is also crucial. 8. The personnel applying and evaluating SCP needs to have adequate training orientation. References Gilling, D (1977): Crime Prevention Theory, Policy and politics, London: UCL Press. Tony M & Farringdon D (1995): Strategic Approaches to Crime prevention, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press Resources. In Proceedings of the 4rd Web Caching and Content Delivery Workshop. Ross Homel ( ed) ( 1996) : The Politics and Practice of Situational Crime Prevention, Crime Prevention Studies, Volume 5.Criminal Justice Press, Monsey, New York, USA Newman, Oscar (1972): Defensible Space, Crime Prevention Through Urban Design: Macmillan, New York. Redding, Stan & Abagnale, Frank W. (2000) : Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake: USA,Broadway. Bajpai G (2004): Crime reduction through situational crime prevention, A study in the UK: Leicester. Read More