The Prevention of Crime

Crime Prevention is the key to keeping citizens safe, and the goal of police departments nationwide. In order to understand how to prevent crime we must look at the reasons crime occurs. Crime by definition is “the act or commission of an act that is forbidden, or the omission of that duty that is commanded by public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law. The prevention of crime takes many shapes in order to be effective. We will evaluate what some of these steps are, to establish a basis for prevention of crime. In law enforcement crime prevention takes its most important stand. Crime prevention in law enforcement helps to ensure that the citizens of our nation stay safe from violent, repeat, and first time offenders. One methods used in the prevention of crime by many departments around the nation is that of Community Oriented Policing. According to Burke (2010), Community Oriented policing came about in the early 90’s as a program to advance community policing.

The main focus of the COP program was to provide current trends of crime and research findings to reduce crime. Extra officers were higher equaling in more interaction with the community. By patrolling extra and having the extra resources to focus on special law enforcement operations, crime was significantly reduced. The COP model allowed for more interaction within the community, providing officers with detailed information to troubled areas, and where they could shift their focus to show a strong presence in said areas. Crime Prevention plays a big part in the criminal justice system. From the enforcement on the street by police, to the courts in sentencing the proposed punishment for the crimes, to the rehabilitation and reintegration of these offenders into society to reduce recidivism rates. It is highly regarded that the foremost way in preventing crime, is through analysis of crime and disorder. According to Boba (2005) “The systematic study of crime and disorder, as well as other police related issues including socio-demographic, special and temporal factors- to assist police in criminal apprehension, crime and disorder reduction, crime prevention, and evaluation.”

Criminal analysis is used alongside prevention techniques to assist law enforcement by utilizing proper standards and deployment of departmental resources in a more effective and efficient manner. Another theory that has been contributed to the prevention of crime is that of cognitive behavioral therapy for both juveniles and adults. The main focus of behavioral therapy according to Clark (2011), therapy has played a key role in reducing recidivism rates among juvenile prisoners, violent offenders, and substance abuse. Clark states in his work that the therapy assumes the patients can be conscious of their own behavior and thoughts, and thus able to make a change of a positive nature. This emphasis on the prevention of crime is extremely useful, due to the reduction of recidivism. By reducing recidivism you can know worry more about rehabilitation of the offender, and not having to come up with new methods and resources for stopping them. The prevention of crime will ultimately focus on the part of law enforcement, and their styles to proactive policing.

This proactive result relies on the arrest initiated by police officers rather than arresting someone after a call for service has been received and investigated. Other ways such as readjusting resources to ensure extra patrol in heavy crime areas suggest that due to heavy police presence, a crime that would have occurred will not because of the extreme presence of law enforcement in the area. This does not always involve completely keeping the offender from committing a crime at a later date, but reduces the opportunity and chance of escape. The prevention of crime carries many components.

Crime prevention begins from the lowest levels of law enforcement, and continues to the highest ranges of the courts. Our deciding factors in the deterrence of crime depend on the system that enforces it. Through proactive policing practices we can establish safer areas and reduce the opportunity to commit offenses. Through the courts, we can establish proper punishment and sentencing for offenders to ensure that the severity of the crimes equals the correct punishment. Through this standard of punishment, reduction and prevention occur from the fear of suffering the consequences. In the department of corrections, we can ensure that prevention occurs through behavior modification, rehabilitation, and reintegration of offenders to help reduce future criminal activity. The goal and end result is the safety of the public, through any and all resources available.

References

Boba, R. (2005), Crime Analysis and Crime Mapping. Thousand Oaks, California. Sage Publications, Inc.

Burke, J. V. (2010). Community Oriented Policing : Background and Issues. Nova Science Publishers.

Clark, P. (2011). Preventing Future Crime With Cognitive Behavioral therapy. American Jails, 25(1), 45.