NCJ Number
86222
Date Published
1982
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Given the relatively moderate amount of crime in public housing in England, the application of some defensible space principles, target hardening, and better management practices appear to be the most appropriate crime prevention measures, while efforts to change criminogenic environmental influences do not hold promise.
Abstract
Despite rising concern about crime in public housing in England, it seems unlikely, given the numbers of people living in public housing, that crime in such housing is as serious as in countries where such housing accommodates higher concentrations of socially and economically deprived groups. It is uncertain that crimes other than vandalism are more prevalent in public housing than in other types of neighborhoods. The crime prevention measures currently being taken include (1) target hardening initiatives, including improved dwelling security, entry phones for blocks of apartments, and the use of stronger materials to prevent vandalism; (2) 'defensible space' modifications, including the closing off of some public circulation routes and environmental improvements; (3) allocation measures, including the rapid rerenting of vacant dwellings and the avoidance of concentrations of children and problem families; and (4) improved maintenance and caretaking. While the merits of such secondary crime prevention in public housing are supported by research, the value of primary prevention (the changing of criminogenic environmental influences) is questionable. The belief that criminal behavior stems primarily from a minority of persons whose deviance is conditioned by deficient environmental influences fail to consider that crime is committed by a wide range of persons and that situational inducements, opportunities, and deterrents to offending affect crime patterns. Thirty-two notes and 40 references are provided.