NCJ Number
211696
Date Published
2005
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses the limits of a company's responsibility to prevent the criminal misuse of its products and services, where the company's responsibility ends and the government's begins, and government strategies for influencing companies to design and redesign their products and services in the interest of preventing crime associated with their use.
Abstract
Various factors influence companies to act voluntarily in their self-interest to design and redesign products and services that introduce crime risks and opportunities. These factors include reputation and self-esteem, media coverage, pressure from investors, and fear of regulation. A discussion of public policy and operational initiatives focuses on steps taken by the British Government to addresses vehicle and property crime through partnerships between the Government and manufacturers. Other product-crime issues addressed pertain to alcohol abuse and credit cards. For each of these issues, steps taken by the British Government and businesses in cooperation with one another are examined, and lessons learned from each strategy are drawn. The chapter notes that car crime has declined because of immobilizers, and credit card fraud decreased when interception in the mail was stopped. What companies do to reduce product vulnerability to crime has made a difference. Government intervention has depended on whether the crime is salient with the public, the press, and hence the politicians. What is missing is an ongoing strategy and structure for partnerships between government and business and industry that serve the public interest in providing products and services designed to reduce crime that may be linked to a product or service. Such an ongoing plan should build upon the features of past successes. This chapter concludes with recommendations for such partnerships and the roles to be played by business and the British Government. 36 notes and 66 references