Implementing Crime Prevention (From Building a Safer Society: Strategic Approaches to Crime Prevention, Volume 19, P 535-584, 1995, Michael Tonry and David P Farrington, eds.)

• NCJ Number: 159624
• Author(s): G Laycock; N Tilley
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 50 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Great Britain Home Office
• Sale Source: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Situational crime prevention is increasingly proving its worth in crime control, but crime rates in many countries continue to rise.

Abstract

Existing small-scale but effective crime prevention measures should be more widely duplicated, and there is a need at all levels to identify mechanisms that will lead to more widespread implementation of situational crime prevention strategies. Legislative mandates and publicity can be used, but actually demonstrating that situational crime prevention measures produce cost savings may be more effective. A prerequisite of demonstrating cost-effectiveness is the availability of good data analysis. This points to a considerable training task and the need to introduce criminological theory and good research and evaluation practices to those with the authority and responsibility to take action against crime. Three main problems associated with implementing crime prevention are identified: (1) putting crime prevention on the agenda; (2) making crime prevention strategies effective; and (3) maintaining the impetus of crime prevention programs. The authors note that it may be possible to take advantage of new situational crime prevention opportunities with technological advances. 88 references, 1 table, and 3 figures