NCJ Number
118263
Date Published
1988
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Data on the role of informal social control in small rural and urban communities in the Midlands in England supported the conclusion that informal action against crime is prevalent in both rural and urban settings, although rarer in urban areas where the opportunity for communal action appears to be small.
Abstract
Information was gathered from interviews with 322 residents and businesspeople, interviews with 53 police officers, analysis of a year of crime reports and 72 days of calls for police service, 27 months of informal observations, and 90 formal periods of observation. Results showed that people, particularly the elderly and businesspeople, were actively engaged in watching for anything suspicious in their immediate vicinity. Suspicious activity was handled through direct confrontation with the suspicious person, telling the victim, initiating discussion and action through groups, or other actions. Crime was perceived as a major problem only in urban areas, although vandalism was a problem in both rural and urban areas. People's responses to suspicious incidents reflected their beliefs about the seriousness of the incident and the kind of offender. Findings showed that people are actively taking action against many kinds of problems in their own local areas and that they are interested in crime and crime prevention. 14 references.