Crime Prevention Programs Research Articles

Implementing a Burglary Prevention Program with Evidence-Based Tracking: a Case Study

Research QuestionsHow was a system of tracking and feedback implemented to achieve a high percentage of treatment delivered as intended to residences targeted for super cocooning, and how successful was the tracking in ensuring implementation of the cocooning program?DataThe case study of implementing a tracking system for notifying neighbours of burglary victims is based on intensive tracking of all 43 burglaries in a 2-month summer period in one small area of Greater Manchester.MethodThe system of tracking featured a written paper and pencil report on each residence visited, with entries audited against GPS records of where each reporting officer was located at the times and places listed in the written report. Body-worn video records were used to triangulate the written and GPS records. The policy tracked was the goal of face-to-face contact with residents of four houses on either side of each burgled residence, plus the initially burgled home, or nine visits per burglary.ResultsOf the potential 387 homes to visit after each burglary, only 266 occupied dwellings were identified, of which 230 (93%) were visited by Police Community Service Officers (PCSOs) assigned, 141 of them within 2 days after the initial burglary (61%). These visits and second visits resulted in 154 face-to-face discussions warning occupants about an elevated risk of burglary (58%). No contact or leaflet at all was delivered to 12.5% of all potential properties. The case study showed that the tracking and feedback was instrumental in delivering these outputs.ConclusionThe time and effort needed for supervisors to track the delivery of an evidence-based, tested crime prevention programme does not exceed supervisory time available, making tracking systems of this kind a feasible element of police business as usual.

CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLES OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT

The subject. The author analyzes the features of crime prevention programs and the proce-dure of their development.The purpose of the paper is to identify the principles of crime prevention programs devel-opment.The methodological basis of the research includes general-scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, system-structural approach) as well as academic methods (formal-legal method, method of interpretation of legal acts).Results and scope of application. The analysis is usually carried out in the following areas during the development of crime prevention programs:1) Complex analysis. The purpose of this area of analytical work is to identify changes in the state of the operational environment and to establish the factors that determined them. In the process of such analysis, the geographical, political, socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the territory served are to be studied.The conclusions obtained in the analysis of the indicated conditions contain an assessment of the criminal situation; the definition of the most urgent problems and directions of pre-ventive activities.Thus, the results of the complex analysis form the basis of analytical work.2) Current analysis. Through this area of analytical work, the study of natural manifestations of crime is provided. The current analysis differs from the complex one mainly by the vol-ume of initial information and the depth of the study.3) Private analysis. This is done when the information obtained by the integrated or ongoing analysis is not sufficient to explain the trend or the deviation from the established trends. The results of private analysis (depending on their scope and feasibility) are usually used to decide on individual activities.Conclusions. The development of crime prevention programs is a scientifically based set of actions for the preparation of appropriate targeted programs that define a system of crime prevention measures. The principles for the development of crime prevention programs are fundamental ideas that should guide practitioners in this type of activity. The main princi-ples of the development of crime prevention programs are: the optimality, timeliness, con-sistency, systematization and prognostic nature, legality.

The effect of a sport-based intervention to prevent juvenile delinquency in at-risk adolescents

Despite the wide implementation of sport-based crime prevention programs, there is a lack of empirical knowledge on the effectiveness of these interventions. This study evaluated a Dutch sport-based program in N = 368 youth at risk for juvenile delinquency. Intervention effects were tested in a quasi-experimental study, comparing the intervention group with a comparison group using multiple sources of information. The study was conducted under conditions that resemble real-life implementation, thereby enhancing the relevance of this contribution to practitioners. The primary outcome was juvenile delinquency, measured by official police data. The secondary outcomes were risk and protective factors for delinquency, assessed with self- and teacher reports. A significant effect was found on one delinquency measure. The intervention group consisted of fewer youth with police registrations as a suspect than the comparison group (d = −0.34). We did not find an intervention effect on the number of registrations as a suspect in each group. In addition, no significant intervention effects were found on the secondary outcomes. Implications for theory and practice concerning the use of sport-based crime prevention programs are discussed.

“Local Crime Prevention Program” in Cities for Local Governments

Kentlerde sunulan kamu hizmetlerinin başında güvenlik yani vatandaşlara olabildiğince suçtan arındırılmış emin ve güvenli bir ortam sunma gelir. Her ne kadar merkezi yönetimler, kentlerde suç önleme politikalarını oluşturmak, sürdürmek ve geliştirmek ve vatandaşlar için emniyetli ve güvenli ortamlar sağlama konusunda ana sorumluluğa sahip olsa da, kentlerde suç önlemeyi teşvik etmek ve sürdürmek için yerel yönetimlerin yapabilecekleri eylemler çok önemlidir. Güvenliğin sağlanmasında değişen paradigma ile birlikte gelen proaktif yaklaşım, yerel yönetimlerin kentlerde güvenliğin sağlanması ve suçun önlenmesinde önemli görevler üstlenmesini gerektirir. Suçun yerel düzeyde gerçekleşmesi gerçeğinden hareketle etkili suç önleme politikaları, merkezi yönetimlerin desteğiyle birlikte başarı olasılığını artıracak şekilde yerel düzeyde uygulamaya konulmalıdır. Bu bağlamda, yerel yönetimlerin kentlerde suç önleme hususunda etkinliklerini artırmak amacıyla merkezi yönetim, yerel yönetim ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarının bilgi ve tecrübelerini birleştiren ve çok disiplinli ortaklıklar tarafından kullanılabilecek yaygın iki program geliştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, CSIR Suç Önleme Merkezi ve BM-Habitat tarafından geliştirilen “Yerel Suç Önleme Programı”na odaklanılmış ve bu program detaylı bir şekilde ele alınmıştır. Bu makale, yerel yönetimlere suç önlemede yardımcı olabilecek eylem stratejileri ve önerileri sunmayı amaçlaması bakımından önemli görülmektedir. Makalenin, kentlerde suçu önleme ve suçla daha etkin mücadele bağlamında yerel düzeyde uygun politika uygulamalarının tanımlanmasına ve işe koşulmasına yardımcı olacağına inanılmaktadır.

The Ipswich (Queensland) safe city program: an evaluation

This paper reviews three decades of data associated with a large-scale open street CCTV program introduced in the City of Ipswich, in the state of Queensland, Australia, in 1994. In 2018, there were over 300 cameras in operation with live monitoring and relays to police and security officers on the beat. Over the years a number of dramatic claims have been made about the impact of the program, including an overall reduction in crime of 80% and high rates of crimes being solved. However, the Ipswich City Council, which operates the program, was unable to provide data to support these claims. In response, the researchers accessed all available police data for the area and comparable areas. No evidence could be found for any specific benefits from the program. The findings that add to those from the literature are that CCTV programs often lack a scientifically grounded implementation and evaluation process, and are vulnerable to misuse for political purposes. The paper concludes by reiterating best-practice standards in crime prevention programs, including accountability and transparency, and the use of standard evaluation protocols.

Organisational exceptions as vehicles for change: collaborative strategies, trust, and counter strategies in local crime prevention partnerships in Sweden

ABSTRACT Enhanced collaboration is among the most common strategies in Swedish crime prevention. This includes multi-agency, cross-professional work and also coordinated activities between public authorities and civil society, often in the framework of a partnership approach. The social services bear the main responsibility for setting up and facilitating this collaboration. In this article, two crime prevention programmes in Gothenburg are analysed together. Both targeted gangs and social disturbances, and both used independent coordinators, mainly social workers, as key holders of the intervention strategy. The projects were investigated using an ethnographic mixed-method approach, where 51 interviews with stakeholders in the partnerships provide the main data used for the analysis. The interaction between these free-standing coordinators (labelled organisational exceptions) and the involved stakeholders reveals an intricate interplay of strategies and counterstrategies used either to evoke change and facilitate joint work or to resist intrusive actions on the part of the coordinators. By understanding the different logics of strategic and operative work in relation to the use of systematic or unsystematic data, as well as the need for the coordinator to gain legitimacy, a fundamental paradox in partnership approaches is indicated; in the process of obtaining a legitimate platform for change, the coordinators risked losing the contributions this platform was about to make.

Digital Criminology: Mathematical Methods of Prediction (Part 2)

The paper is devoted to the problems of digital criminology, the analysis of the methods of mathematical forecasting and the possibility of using them for crime research. The growing complexity of the task of crime counteraction determines the necessity for both the critical overhaul of the existing methods and the search for opportunities to go beyond the boundaries of the traditional methods of researching legal phenomena. The information and analytical work of law enforcement bodies based on the development of crime prevention programs has the key goal of the application of mathematical methods of crime analysis. The object of research is the complex of mathematical methods selected on the basis of their suitability for the purpose of criminological prediction. The authors single out the following methods: the modeling method, the correlation analysis, the analysis of rank correlations and conjugacy tables, discriminant analysis, regression analysis, dispersive analysis, covariance analysis, factor analysis, time series analysis, seasonal oscillation method, maximum likelihood method (in particular, its variety - least squares method), average annual growth rate calculation method, logical decision functions method, pattern recognition, calculus of variations, spectral analysis, Markov chains, algebra of logic, etc. Mathematical prediction in digital criminology consists in using the existing quantitative and qualitative parameters of criminality, calculating their mathematical dependence on time, space and other independent variables. The conducted research allowed the authors to state that the mathematical processing of criminological information makes it possible to improve the accuracy of predictions.

The Long-Term Effects of the Youth Crime Prevention Program "New Perspectives" on Delinquency and Recidivism.

New Perspectives (NP) aims to prevent persistent criminal behavior. We examined the long-term effectiveness of NP and whether the effects were moderated by demographic and delinquency factors. At-risk youth aged 12 to 19 years were randomly assigned to the intervention group (NP, n = 47) or care as usual (CAU, n = 54). Official and self-report data were collected to assess recidivism. NP was not more effective in reducing delinquency levels and recidivism than CAU. Also, no moderator effects were found. The overall null effects are discussed, including further research and policy implications.

Determinants of citizen support for community-oriented policing

The extent to which community members are willing to cooperate with the police and become involved with various community crime prevention programs depends on citizen perceptions of the police and of the community in which they reside. The purpose of the present study is to explore factors that affect support for community policing in a small rural city. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents supported community policing. Using community survey data collected from over 400 citizens in a small metropolitan area in the intermountain West, this study also explored the importance of demographic factors, community characteristics, and public perceptions and experiences with police in predicting citizens’ support for community policing. Citizen support for community-oriented policing varied somewhat by demographic factors (i.e., gender, education), and by community characteristics (i.e., disorder, social cohesion).

A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of the youth crime prevention program ‘New Perspectives’ (NP): Post-treatment changes and moderator effects

ObjectivesNew Perspectives (NP) aims to prevent that youth at onset of a criminal career will develop a more persistent criminal behavior pattern. The study aim was to examine whether NP was effective relative to care as usual in preventing and reducing (persistent) delinquency. Moreover, we examined improvements in secondary outcomes (e.g., peer and parent relationships and cognitive distortions) and other outcomes (e.g., substance use and self-esteem). MethodsAt-risk youth (N=101) aged 12 to 19years were randomly assigned to the intervention group (NP, n=47) or control group (‘care as usual’, n=54). The effects of the NP intensive phase (3months after program start) and aftercare phase (6months after program start) were analyzed. ResultsNP and care as usual did not differ on any of the outcome measures at both post-test occasions. The effects of NP were the same for boys and girls, different age groups, and ethnic groups. ConclusionsThe overall null-effects are discussed, including implications for further research, policy, and practice.

Mining crime instance records of Philippine National Police District Vi âA ¸S˘ Province of Cavite, Philippines: An Exploratory Study to Enhance Crime Prevention Programs

Aim: This study aimed to measure the efficiency, performance, and organizational management in one of the countryâA˘ Zs national police ´forces. Crime management as the prime function of the police requires resources that were considered as decision-making units in this study, particularly in the data envelopment analysis.Methodology: The research study applied an input-oriented radial measure of efficiency and a Rate-to-Scale (RTS) using scale efficiency to determine the efficient DMUs. A structured approach to planning data mining activities (CRISP-DM) was used in the analytical tasks using the clustering technique.Findings: Based on the 3-year scale efficiency result, Municipality C is the efficient DMU.Implications/Novelty: This study is timely and relevant as to the current drive of the Philippines government and the Philippines National Police to outcast criminalities and unlawful activities. This study helped the crime detectives, law enforcement agencies with crime pattern detection, and geospatial analysis.

Nusikaltimų prevencijos programų Lietuvoje nuostatos: tarp absurdo ir kokybės

Straipsnyje dviejų paskutinių Lietuvoje patvirtintų nusikaltimų prevencijos programų pavyzdžiu analizuojami nusikaltimų prevencijos pagrindai, kertinės nuostatos, veiksmingumo prielaidos ir ideologinis kontekstas. Nusikaltimų prevencijos siekiai ir kuriamos priemonės jiems įgyvendinti priklauso nuo požiūrio į nusikalstamo elgesio esmę, kurį formuoja ir vyraujantis socialinis tikėjimas, ir turimos kriminologinės žinios bei noras ir gebėjimas jomis pasinaudoti. Nusikaltimų prevencijos karžygiai dažniausiai sulaukia visokeriopo palaikymo, nepaisant kylančios ar prognozuojamai kilsiančios grėsmės, su kuria jie pasiryžę kovoti, dydžio bei realumo, taip pat pasirinktų ir siūlomų priemonių (ginklų) veiksmingumo. Todėl viena iš kriminologijos mokslo užduočių yra siūlomus nusikaltimų prevencijos modelius, nuostatas, priemones kritiškai įvertinti per sukauptų žinių ir reflektuotos praktikos prizmę, tai ir mėginama padaryti šiame straipsnyje, skatinant tolesnę mokslinę diskusiją.

Crime prevention and reduction programs: How does knowing about community initiatives moderate attitudes towards criminal victimisation?

The current study examines the association between fear of crime and awareness of community programs designed to prevent or reduce crime and social disorder. Data were collected from a community survey of household residents living on the Gold Coast of Australia ( N = 713). Results indicate that those reportedly aware of community initiatives, fear property crime and crimes against persons differently than those reportedly unaware of them. For fear of personal victimisation, awareness of crime prevention programs within an area weakened relationships between (a) perceptions of incivility and social cohesion; (b) perceptions of the consequences of victimisation and likelihood of victimisation; and (c) perceptions of the likelihood of victimisation and worry about personal crime. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications on future research, and strategies for developing crime prevention and fear reduction programs that maximise the positive effects on attitudes towards crime, while minimising their unintended consequences, are also offered.

Situational crime prevention and Public Safety Canada’s crime-prevention programme

This study examines the work undertaken by Canada’s National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) under the auspices of the Public Safety Canada. NCPC operates with a social development approach to preventing crime, focussing largely on small pilot projects that work with at-risk youth. We suggest that this is a rather narrow definition of crime prevention and that it may not necessarily be an optimal strategy for all crime preventions in Canada. In particular, many international crime and safety organizations suggest the need for integrated approaches in crime prevention. In addition, there is an array of evidence-based situational crime prevention (SCP) strategies from which Canada might benefit. SCP has a history of success in designing out a wide range of crimes from credit card fraud to car theft and burglary. It is proposed that, at minimum, a more inclusive crime-prevention programme that incorporates SCP would produce a significant net benefit to the safety of Canadians.

Predictors of Intervention Success in a Sports-Based Program for Adolescents at Risk of Juvenile Delinquency.

To prevent juvenile delinquency, there is growing interest in the use of sports-based interventions. To date, there is little empirical research that provides insights into for whom, how, and when sports-based crime prevention programs are most effective. Therefore, the current study assessed which youth, coach, and context factors were predictive of change in risk factors and protective factors for delinquency in a sports-based crime prevention program for at-risk adolescents. Participants (N = 155) and their teachers filled in questionnaires about risk and protective factors for delinquency at the start of the intervention and 13 months later. In addition, the coaches and participants filled in questionnaires about the predictors of intervention success. The youths showed significant improvements over the course of the intervention. Various youth, coach, and context factors (e.g., the type of education of youth and the sociomoral climate at the sports club) were associated to change in the outcome variables.

Female criminality in Russia: a research note from a penal colony

ABSTRACTThis article assesses various factors contributing to fluctuating rates of female crime in Russia between 1991 and present. The author uses existing data and modern scientific literature regarding female crime in Russia as a framework for the study. The goal of this article, based on empirical research, is to show trends and tendencies of female crime specifically. The study was done in March 2013 in the Russian penal colony of Vladivostok. A total of 212 women aged between 18 and 64 years were interviewed. Ultimately, the study’s findings will inform trends in female crime, and will contribute to the continued development of more effective crime prevention programmes in Russia.

An Examination of Reading Skills and Reading Outcomes for Youth Involved in a Crime Prevention Program

ABSTRACTThis study examined the incidence of reading impairments, the reading profiles, and the outcomes of a reading intervention for youth involved in a comprehensive crime prevention program. Rates of reading impairments were between 55% and 61%. Reading profiles for participants with reading comprehension impairments showed deficits in phonological decoding and word reading similar to a comparison group without behavioral risks. A subset of the prevention program participants and an age- and reading level–matched comparison group received a phonology- and word-focused reading intervention. Following the intervention, both groups showed reliable and academically meaningful improvements on word- and text-level reading outcomes. The comparison group tended to have higher scores on reading comprehension; however, both groups made significant gains in this area. The reading profiles and positive outcomes in this study suggest that word-focused reading remediation will be effective for youth at imminent risk for antisocial conduct and involvement with the criminal justice system.

Get a handle on Clery compliance for your campus

PHOENIX — Keeping your campus safe is a full‐time job. Meeting federal requirements and mandates, while important to achieve the goal of full campus security, can feel like another separate full‐time job in and of itself. However, the guidance for complying with these mandates can provide clear actions for making your campus a safer place. Involving your entire campus in meeting these benchmarks and requirements is the best way to go about integrating compliance into effective campus safety and crime prevention programs. At the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators annual conference, Jim Moore, director of the Clery Compliance Division of the Department of Education, shared practical advice for ways to involve your entire institution in meeting the requirements of the Clery Act.

Examining Crime on Campus: The Influence of Institutional Factors on Reports of Crime at Colleges and Universities

When the Clery Act was passed in 1998, it required institutions of higher education to raise awareness among those in the campus community about the crime prevention programs they offer, as well as disseminate information about crime on campus, in an effort to reduce levels of individual risk. However, scant research investigates the impact that such institutional crime prevention efforts may have had on reports of both violent and property crime on campus. Using two different datasets, this study reveals that campuses with more security measures in place and more men enrolled than women are associated with the highest reports of violent crime. Alternatively, institutions with more security measures implemented and larger proportions of women enrolled have the fewest reports of violent crime on campus. This paper discusses the considerations that should be made when relying on official reports of crime on campus and concludes with implications for future research.

Analyzing the Prevention of Environmental Crimes in the light of the United Nations Guidelines based on the Ethical Principle of Prevention of Harm

Background and Aim: Considering the significance of prevention as one of the most important issues in ethical and legal systems, and increasing the risk of environmental crimes, this study aimed to analyze the prevention of environmental crimes in the light of UN guidelines. Materials and Methods: This analytical study examines the prevention of environmental crimes in the light of the UN guidelines. This analysis is done based on the ethical principle of prevention of harm. Findings: Given the globalization of environmental damages, green criminologists have focused on the principle of no harm. They have recognized environmental harm as the criterion in the definition of the environmental crime rather than criminalization. The United Nations has adopted guidelines for the prevention of crime in 1996 and 2002 in the Economic Council to promote crime prevention programs at the national level. The key principles in these guidelines included: government governance, crime prevention in social and economic policies; participatory prevention; accountability; sustainability; cost-benefit analysis; knowledge-based; compliance with the Human rights; solidarity, Interdependency and differentiation. Conclusion: The utilization of the principles of the United Nations Guidelines focusing on the ethical Principle of Prevention of harm, can help us to prevent environmental crimes. In order to prevent environmental damage and harm, participation of the civil society in the field of protection of environment is recommended through providing access of the citizens and empowering them, as well as, supporting community-based and non-governmental organizations. Please cite this article as: Mirkamali AR, Hajivand A. Analyzing the Prevention of Environmental Crimes in the light of the United Nations Guidelines based on the Ethical Principle of Prevention of Harm. Bioethics Journal 2017; 7(26): 61-75.