CRIME PREVENTIVE ACTIVITY OF THE POLICE - A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS - SWEDEN (FROM POLICE AND SOCIAL ORDER, 1979, BY JOHANNES KNUTSSON, ET AL - SEE NCJ-60476)

• NCJ Number: 60486
• Author(s): J KNUTSSON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Brottsforebyggande Radet
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

THE PLANNING, ACTIVITIES, AND EXPECTED EFFECTS OF POLICE CRIME PREVENTION IN SWEDEN ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

DURING 1975, 180 POLICE OFFICERS THROUGHOUT SWEDEN WERE ASSIGNED TO CRIME PREVENTION WORK. THE THRUST OF THIS NEW EFFORT WAS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL AND SPECIAL GROUPS HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST CRIME. THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WERE DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY BEFORE SUCH AN EFFORT COULD ACHIEVE ITS INTENDED EFFECT OF REDUCING CRIME: (1) THE CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS PROPOSED MUST HAVE A PROVEN IMPACT UPON CRIME REDUCTION; (2) THE INFORMATION MUST REACH THE TARGET GROUPS; AND (3) THE TARGET GROUP MUST ADOPT THE PROPOSED MEASURES. IN SPREADING THE INFORMATION, TWO FACTORS WERE OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE--THE RECEPTIVITY OF THE TARGET GROUPS AND THE METHOD FOR CONVEYING INFORMATION. RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS FORMS OF COMMUNICATION INDICATED THAT VERBAL COMMUNICATION COUPLED WITH DISCUSSION GAVE THE BEST RESULTS, AND THAT THE SPOKEN WORD GAVE BETTER RESULTS THAN THE WRITTEN WORD. CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE UNDERTAKEN IF TARGET GROUPS PERCEIVED A HIGH RISK OF VICTIMIZATION. WHERE THIS HIGH RISK DID EXIST, EVIDENCE OF IT COMMUNICATED TO TARGET GROUPS COULD STIMULATE THE ADOPTION OF THE MEASURES. WERE THE CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED, A DISPLACEMENT EFFECT WAS LIKELY TO OCCUR AS CRIMINALS SOUGHT MORE VULNERABLE TARGETS. CRIME OVERALL WOULD NOT BE REDUCED, BUT WOULD BE REDISTRIBUTED. EVER-EXPANDING CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS COULD PROBABLY DETER THE CRIMINAL WHO CAN READILY FIND LEGITIMATE WAYS TO SURVIVE IN THE FACE OF THE INCREASING DIFFICULTY AND RISKS OF A CRIMINAL CAREER; HOWEVER, CRIMINALS WHO PERCEIVE THAT THEY HAVE NO SURVIVAL ALTERNATIVE TO CRIMINALITY MAY ADOPT EVER MORE DESPERATE AND DANGEROUS METHODS FOR OBTAINING THEIR CRIMINAL GOALS. IT IS UNLIKELY, THEREFORE, THAT ANYTHING SHORT OF AN EXTENSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CRIME PREVENTION EFFORT THROUGHOUT A COMMUNITY WILL REDUCE CRIME. MEANWHILE, EFFORTS ADOPTED BY INDIVIDUALS CAN AT LEAST INCREASE THEIR PERSONAL SENSE OF SECURITY. DIAGRAMS ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT. (RCB)