Crime control: Prevention Strategies

Situational crime prevention is an extension of the right realist approach to crime.

Right realists assume that everyone is likely to commit crime especially when crime is part of their everyday routine. They argue that crime is based on rational choice.

Situational crime prevention therefore works to reduce the opportunity for crimes to be committed and increase the risk of being caught.

Building positive, trusting relationships between the police and the public, such as public meetings to discuss issues. This makes the police more accountable and transparent in their actions.

Policies to reduce cultural and material deprivation, such as Sure Start, to encourage better parenting, to reduce social exclusion and to increase social mobility.

Community building, working together with the police with schemes such as Safer Neighbourhoods which encourage individuals to pre-empt crimes, for example through securing their homes more effectively.

Police to work with other agencies such as social workers, schools and doctors to create a multi-agency approach to understand better the social issues facing criminals and victims, to support and encourage the vulnerable to report crime for example.

Greater police presence, making sure that the police are perceived to be effective and tough on crime, e.g. statistics available about the efficiency of the police.

Policies to encourage parents to be stricter with their children. For example, giving fines to parents who allow their children to truant from school.

Encouraging schemes that help local communities to watch and report each other, such as Neighbourhood Watch.

Strategies which aim to make crime harder, for example, introducing CCTV and anti-climb paint.

Felson (1998) agrees with situational crime prevention and argues that reshaping the physical environment to ‘design out’crime can be proven to reduce crime rates.

Felson cites the example of New York City where a major bus station was redesigned in such a way that all areas were visible and clean. In doing this, Felson argues that the crime rate dropped significantly.

This approach argues that it is possible to prevent crime through making crime less acceptable or normal in the environment.

This is based on the idea that if people are tough on crime then others will believe that they cannot commit as much crime.

Right realists Wilson and Kelling (1982) developed a ‘broken windows’theory to explain this. They argue that signs of decay in an area which are left unrepaired suggest that there is little social control and that criminal or deviant behaviour is acceptable.This can lead to the police feeling less able to tackle smaller scale issues, and communities feeling fearful and unable to do anything to improve the situation.

They suggest a zero tolerance style of policing where visible signs of crime are resolved immediately and at the same time police tackle any form of criminal behaviour.

This approach argues that it is possible to prevent crime through making crime less acceptable or normal in the environment.

This is based on the idea that if people are tough on crime then others will believe that they cannot commit as much crime.

Right realists Wilson and Kelling (1982) developed a ‘broken windows’theory to explain this. They argue that signs of decay in an area which are left unrepaired suggest that there is little social control and that criminal or deviant behaviour is acceptable.This can lead to the police feeling less able to tackle smaller scale issues, and communities feeling fearful and unable to do anything to improve the situation.

They suggest a zero tolerance style of policing where visible signs of crime are resolved immediately and at the same time police tackle any form of criminal behaviour.