Crime Reduction and Prevention

Running head : CRIME REDUCTION AND PREVENTION

Crime Reduction and Prevention

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Abstract

Rational choice theories give profound insight into the causes and reasons of crime . However , we can also use these rational approaches in addressing the crime issues in New York City

Crime Reduction and Prevention

Introduction

The general picture of crime in New York is rather optimistic . I have already referred to the facts of crime rates ' decrease in New York These trends have been noticed in New York since

the beginning of the 1990s . Does this mean that rational approaches have already worked for the elimination of crime , or do we still need to apply rational crime perspectives to the crime issues in New York

To be rational and objective , the crimes have really decreased in numbers , but we have not also accounted the significant population increase since 1990 . Statistics suggests that even in the light of the increasing population , it is difficult not to recognize the positivism of crime trends in NYC : the number of murders has decreased to 921 as compared to 1 ,083 in 1990 32 ,134 vehicle thefts against 187 ,591 in 1991 is a solid basis to assert that something was really done to decrease the crime (Disaster Center , 2007 . From the viewpoint of rational choice theory , addressing crime means addressing its most vulnerable aspects Understanding the causes and motives of crimes is critical to decrease and prevent crimes in a metropolitan like New York

One of the well-known rational tools of addressing the crime is specific deterrence

General deterrence strategies focus on future behaviors , preventing individuals from engaging in crime of deviant by impacting their rational decision making process . Specific deterrence focuses on punishing known deviants in to prevent them from ever again violating the specific norms they have broken (Newman Clarke , 1997

Despite the evidently decreasing number of crimes in New York , there are frequent cases of arresting famous people or those whom police has been searching for years . It is difficult to explain the reasons of this situation . It is very probable that under the pressure of the well developed anti-crime policies , smaller criminals have distanced themselves from deviant behavior , while famous people and serious criminals still perceived they were free to act without any respect to law . The recent case of 2006 serial murders suggests that the police have not yet exercised all possible rational tools in dealing with crime (NYC Serial Killer on the Loose , 2006

Not all rational choice approaches are effective in dealing with crime Most punishment in the modern societies involves imprisonment Research demonstrates that recidivism amongst convinced felons releasing from prison is as high as 63 (Newman Clarke , 1997 . This is one of the popular misconceptions about rational theories of crime : while deviants and criminals certainly deserve to be punished , not all forms of punishment are suitable to address crime . Altogether , there are some 21 ,000 people imprisoned somewhere in New York City . Since the average cost...