Crime Prevention and Community

Running head : CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY

Crime Prevention and Community

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Part A : What is community ? What is community crime prevention ? What is community safety (500 words

The word community ' has many definitions and , consequently , has been heavily

debated in criminological circles . At the most basic level , the term can refer to a geographic area , such as a neighborhood , or to a set of social ties that link individuals or groups (Hunter Riger , 1996 . With

br community crime prevention , the phrase often refers to both - a neighborhood or

smaller area where people organize themselves into groups or networks to prevent (either directly or indirectly ) local crime and other problems Community crime prevention are efforts to prevent neighborhood crime through collective citizen action . There are many strategies for empowering citizens to attack neighborhood problems , but in the field of crime prevention , community organizing through voluntary community groups has been the predominant approach . Community safety needs to be defined in a holistic and multilevel manner , and its operational philosophy and methodology should undergo an extensive reexamination Only then will the system maximize positive deterrent effects and will preventive measures impact the community and culture . For example , by properly securing a community means the removal of the barrier of fear and , in turn , allows interaction to take place among community members - a fundamental need in the crime prevention effort

In the 1980s , as levels of violence escalated to unprecedented heights Americans responded in the only way they knew how - with increased fear and avoidance of dangerous situations . They retreated to the safety of their homes , adding locks , bars , alarms , and , sometimes , guards Research now suggests that such restrictions of behavior and security purchases are often effective in reducing an individual 's risk of property loss (Lavrakas , Normoyle , Skogan , Herz , Salem Lewis , 1990 Rosenbaum , 1998 , but the price might have been higher than expected Concerned about this type of restrictive crime prevention behavior , the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals (1993 ,

. 46 ) observed that although these prophylactic measures may be steps in self-protection , they can lead to a lessening of the bonds of mutual assistance and neighborliness

Indeed , community crime prevention researchers have suggested that one primary explanation for high levels of crime , dis , and fear of crime in specific neighborhoods is the absence of community (Greenberg , Rohe Williams , 1985 Jacobs , 1991 Kelling Coles , 1996 Skogan , 1990 . In any event , the 1990s witnessed a nationwide call for collective crime prevention actions . Given the public 's preference for private-minded ' anticrime measures designed to protect themselves and their immediate property and family , local community leaders saw a clear need to get people out of their homes and involved in the process of

protecting the neighborhood . In turn , this public-minded ' approach should have benefits for both the community and its individual members The rationale for these expected benefits can be found in criminological theories about why and how crime occurs in a community...