PRINCIPLES FOR ORGANIZING POLICE CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES - PART 2

• NCJ Number: 50735
• Journal: International Criminal Police Review Volume: 33 Issue: 317 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 94-110
• Author(s): E SCHLANITZ
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: International Criminal Police Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: France

Annotation

THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF A THREE-PART REPORT GIVING THE RESULTS OF A WORLDWIDE SURVEY OF POLICE CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION (INTERPOL--I.C.P.O.).

Abstract

DATA WERE GATHERED THROUGH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO EVERY UNITED NATIONS MEMBER COUNTRY. USEABLE REPLIES WERE RECEIVED FROM 31, LOCATED IN EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AND NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA. THIS SECOND PART COVERS THE CRIME PREVENTION POLICIES OF THESE COUNTRIES, THE AUTONOMY GRANTED TO THE POLICE TO FORMULATE AND CARRY OUT THESE POLICIES, LAWS AND REGULATIONS COVERING CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, THE DEGREE TO WHICH SUCH ACTIVITIES ARE SCIENTIFICALLY EVALUATED FOR EFFECTIVENESS, PRIORITIES FOUND CURRENTLY IN CRIME PREVENTION WORK, AND THE ORGANIZATION OF CRIME PREVENTION DUTIES. IN GENERAL, IT WAS FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ENGAGE IN SOME CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITY OTHER THAN ROUTINE LAW ENFORCEMENT. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY IS LIMITED TO DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO POTENTIAL VICTIMS OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SOCIAL WORK, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION MEASURES, POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND ANALYSIS OF CRIME TRENDS TO FORMULATE POLICY. VERY FEW COUNTRIES HAVE LAWS REGULATING CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. THE REPORT SUGGESTS THAT LAWS DESIGNED TO PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT FEW DEPARTMENTS SCIENTIFICALLY EVALUATE CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. LACK OF RESOURCES AND LACK OF GOOD EVALUATION MEASURES ARE CITED AS REASONS. THE ACTUAL FORM OF CRIME PREVENTION VARIES GREATLY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. SOME COUNTRIES, SUCH AS GREAT BRITAIN, HAVE HIGHLY ELABORATE ORGANIZATIONS, WHILE MOST NATIONS COMBINE CRIME-PREVENTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES. THESE COUNTRIES FEEL THE COMBINATION WORKS WELL. THE REPORT FAVORS SEPARATION OF AT LEAST SOME FORMS OF CRIME PREVENTION WORK. FOR PART 1, SEE NCJ-50733, AND FOR PART 3, SEE NCJ-51153. (GLR)