Theories Of Situational Crime Prevention

Words: 1452
Pages: 6
Open Document
Based around the assumptions on what causes crime, situational crime prevention techniques involve strategies which aim to reduce the opportunity and triggers which may encourage crime. There are two theories of situational crime prevention, opportunity theory and rational choice theory. Summarising the rational choice theory, Ron Clarke explains that if we increase the effort and risks of performing a criminal act then therefore we may be able to change the thinking processes of individuals prone to commit criminal acts. Entrenched from the notion that criminals rationally decide to commit a crime, the theory explains that the rational decision is characterised by a number of factors Therefore with this theory in mind if factors which encourage …show more content…
One technique involved in increasing the effort needed to successfully commit a crime is target hardening, whereby physical obstruction prevents any given opportunity to commit crime. One example includes anti- robbery screens, these screens create a physical barrier between the public and the potential for a criminal act. In Baltimore1988 it was mandatory for taxi drivers to have screens between themselves and the passengers. Subsequently assaults on taxi drivers decreased to 90 percent. From this example we can clearly see the effectiveness of using target hardening as a situational crime prevention technique.

Controlling access to facilities is another technique for increasing the effort of crime.
Preventing access to places where individuals have no right to be correspondingly has proven to be effective in reducing crime. Illuminating access to places where the option for crime is available, crime simply cannot occur. Examples of where there is control into facilities include, PINs used for credit cards and access into certain areas are unique to individuals who have confirmed access, accordingly without these pins it makes it sufficiently harder to gain immediate access. In addition to this the use of a garage and/or electric gate restrict access and limit the opportunity for theft of …show more content…
Meaning that both areas had an equal risk of being subjected to crime. Results showed a decrease of 23.1 per cent of crime in the lit area compared to a 0.9 decrease in the unlit control areas. This shows a significant difference between lit places and unlit places, supporting the effectiveness of using natural surveillance to increase the risk of crime as a mechanism of situational crime prevention, although there is still evidence of crime that appears to have not been deterred by the increase of risk. Not only is increasing lighting effective in preventing vast amounts of crime, it is also proven to be cost effective, this specific case sees that every pound spent on extra lighting saves £4.66 worth of crime
Show More

Related Documents: Theories Of Situational Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Theory

Critical Analysis of Situational Crime Prevention and Classical Criminological Theory Although not one crime prevention type is better than the other, situational crime prevention (SCP) will be used to apply the Classical School of Criminological Theory, specifically using Rational Choice and Routine Activity theories. The basic assumption of Rational Choice Theory is that human behavior, including criminal behavior, is the result of conscious decision making (O’Grady, 2011, p. 127). This perspective…

Words 1207 - Pages 5

cCriminal Justice Essay

SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION Roman Williams CJ1210 June 30, 2014 Theory Implications  The concept of situational crime started to gain recognition in the late 1940s when Edwin Sutherland (1947) argued that crime was either “historical” – influenced by previous personal history, or “situational” – the environmental factors encompassing the crime scene. Although acknowledged by the majority of criminologists, the concept of “situation” was not their primary focus and remained ignored up until the…

Words 1217 - Pages 5

Essay about Research and Theories

Research and Theories Terrie Gill Unit 1 IP Dear, Police Captain; To start off I would just like to give thanks for my opportunity to join you in your work. As an expert in the Criminal Justice Field, I would like to share my expertise to help you determine a solution to your new citywide crime prevention strategy. The four areas of research theories that I would like to review are deductive, inductive, grounded, and axiomatic. The first thing I am going to do is give a generalization of…

Words 1413 - Pages 6

Sociology Crime Essay

Brudenell Examine the effectiveness of crime reduction strategies in reducing crime There are three types of crime prevention; situational crime prevention, environmental crime prevention and social and community crime prevention, each of which has both strengths and weaknesses. Situational crime prevention takes a preventative approach toward crime by focussing on methods to reduce the opportunities for crime, so it tries to stop the means for crime from occurring in the first place. There…

Words 589 - Pages 3

Criminal Justice System Analysis

The fourth point in this plan deals directly with utilizing the innovations made in technology over the last decades to improve the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice system in reducing crime and prosecuting crime. Just as technology is exploited by some criminals to be more effective, so too does the Criminal Justice system need to keep up with the world’s progress to improve both proactive approaches and reactive approaches. Many of the points in this plan can be greatly enhanced by technology…

Words 751 - Pages 4

Personal Theories Of Crime

to explain actual theories of crime that i have selected because they relate to my personal theory of crime in some way. I have picked two theories, Rational Choice Theory and Cognitive Information-processing theory. I picked these two theories because in my paper i said mental illness, the way they were nurtured or put into an environment, and choices they made on their own were leading factors to committing crime. I think there can't be just a few theories to describe why crime is committed. The…

Words 660 - Pages 3

The Broken Window Theory

The concept of the broken windows theory can be misleading due to its terminology. It is the notion that physical decay, or the ignoring of petty crimes, can breed disorder. In addition, it can lead to crime by signaling that laws are not being enforced. If crimes are not being addressed at the grassroots level, it will only flourish. With that being stated, the broken window’s theory should be continued in NYC by restructuring it. Broken windows theory was coined by NYPD Commissioner Bratton in…

Words 679 - Pages 3

Essay on CJS 240 syllabus may 13

variety of theories and suspected causes of delinquent behavior. Students will study factors related to delinquency and/or prevention including gender, youthful behavior, family, peers, drug use, school, and community. This course will also familiarize students with the evolution of juvenile justice and key players in the juvenile justice process. Additionally, students will develop an understanding of the juvenile court process, as well as juvenile detention, restitution, prevention and treatment…

Words 2197 - Pages 9

Broken Windows Theory

The two topics that I found interesting and decided to write my essay on are (1) the Terry v. Ohio case, which elaborates on the stop and frisk policy and (2) Broken windows theory. Both topics are discussed in Chapters 1, 4, and 6 of Burns. Terry v. Ohio: Stop and Frisk Policy Website Source In Chapter 1: The Police: An Introduction, court case Terry v. Ohio is briefly discussed. This case caused the Supreme Court to reexamine the Fourth Amendment’s protection of unlawful search and seizures…

Words 1192 - Pages 5

Sexual Victim Analysis

(2001) investigated, they detected some characteristics of worst dates and sexual assaults due to situational factors. They claim that if a man knew the woman well enough to be more isolated with her, this could contribute to more alcohol consumed and more misconceptions of a women’s interest and then finally leading to the sexual assault. These men feel…

Words 1479 - Pages 6