NCJ Number
158112
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (1995) Pages: 79-92
Date Published
1995
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The impact, in terms of geographical crime displacement, of a program to reduce theft from cars in the inner city of Rotterdam, Netherlands, was examined using data from an evaluation conducted by the Research and Documentation Center of the Ministry of Justice.
Abstract
The program began in 1992 and will last through 1995. Measures implemented simultaneously during the first 2 years included increased police surveillance at 10 hot spots, guarding of a small parking lot near a tourist attraction, written advice to car owners who parked in hot spots in a risky manner, written advice to victims when they reported crimes, and special attention to the offenders in these crimes. Study data came from computerized police records for the 4 years before the program and the first 2 years of the program and interviews with 81 offenders. Results indicated a reduction of thefts from vehicles in the targeted area, and the program contributed to this reduction. Although indications of spatial displacement of theft from vehicles were not discovered, functional displacement may have occurred in that offenders may have sought other targets around the corner, waited for a suitable moment, or switched to other offenses. This kind of displacement offsets the impact of preventive measures with restricted coverage in time and space. Findings demonstrated the difficulty of confirming or refuting empirically the presence or size of displacement at an aggregate area and confirmed the view that examining crime rates in adjacent areas is insufficient. Tables and 13 references