Week 5: Community Crime Prevention

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Week 5 Community Crime Prevention
CRM 407 The Theory and Practice of Crime
Prevention
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Today

• Overview
• Theoretical foundations for CCP
• Components of community mobilization model
• CCP strategies
• Principles of CCP programs
• Case Studies
• Group Discussion

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Overview Community Crime Prevention

• Crime is partially the result of the loss of
  community
• Solution Develop a sense of community (a crucial
  foundation for informal social control the
  ultimate objective)
• Essential elements of the community mobilization
  model
• Community-based
• Collective effort of local residents
• Behavioural reinforcement/modification
• Informal social control
• Three broad (over-lapping) approaches
• Social Development
• Social Organization
• Physical Development

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Theoretical (Etiological) Assumptions

• Community Decline (Loss of community)
• Community is a focal point for both the causes
  and facilitators of crime and, thus, an arena for
  crime prevention.
• Crime results from breakdown of the social
  community and the deterioration of the
  socio-economic and physical community.
• This degeneration generally stems from the
  breakdown or absence of informal social
  control.

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Theoretical (Etiological) Assumptions

• Chicago School
• Focused on the social or group pathology behind
  crime the role of social disorganization in
  causing crime and disorder.
• Delinquents lived in 'zones of transition' where
  poverty, physical deterioration, rapid
  population turnover undermines social cohesion
  and informal social control.
• As a result of this social pathology, children
  were ineffectually socialized and controlled.
• Solution Community development

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Theoretical (Etiological) Assumptions

• Broken Windows
• Minor incivilities, if unchecked and
  uncontrolled, will promote more serious crimes,
  setting off a negative spiral, leading to
  breakdown of informal social control and
  community decline.
• Incivilities act as the catalyst they
  represent signs of disorder and signify that 'no
  one cares', that the environment is uncontrolled
  and uncontrollable
• Solution Community must reassert its natural
  forces of authority and control, to show it
  'cares' through early intervention in disorderly
  conduct.

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Components of Community Mobilization Model

• Community-based
• Collective effort of local residents
• Behavioural reinforcement/modification
• Informal social control

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Community-based

• The community is the focal point of effective
  crime prevention.
• Private citizens play a major role in maintaining
  order in society and therefore should be
  encouraged to accept more responsibility for the
  prevention of crime.
• The community should take the lead in identifying
  and responding to crime prevention and community
  safety needs.
• Crime prevention efforts should bring together
  individuals and groups representative of
  community.
• The community must be seen as a major institution
  in society.

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Collective Action

• Individualistic (private-minded) vs. collective
  (public-minded)
• Assumptions underlying efficacy of collective
  action
• strength in numbers what we cant do
  individually, we can do collectively
• must address crime and disorder in shared, public
  spaces
• contributes to the development of essential
  prerequisites of community crime prevention
  social interaction, social cohesion, informal
  social control, territoriality, etc.

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Behaviour Reinforcement or Modification

• Crime is to be prevented by modifying the
  behaviour of potential victims
• Goal produce or strengthen a local social
  environment that can informally regulate itself,
  including the regulation and reduction of
  criminal and disorderly behaviour.
• Implant or transplant hypothesis social
  cohesion informal social control can be
  implanted in neighbourhoods where it does not
  presently exist.

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Informal Social Control

• ISC is based on custom, common agreement, or
  social norms
• ISC refers to the enforcement of local rules by
  neighbourhood residents for appropriate public
  behaviour
• ISC restricts crime disorder through
  enforcement of societal norms standards that
  the community holds dear
• In turn, ISC is a prerequisite for surveillance,
  territoriality, vigilance, activism, etc.

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Informal Social Control

• Informal social control can be developed within
  communities in one of two ways
• 1) Naturally (organically) where a population
  movement is minimal, patterns of association are
  well established and social cohesion exists.
• 2) Intentionally (artificially) induced
  (transplant hypothesis) in disadvantaged,
  transient neighbourhoods.

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Summary Conceptual Cycle of CCP (Mobilization)

• Neighborhood residents can be mobilized to
  participate in CP projects
• Involvement fosters stronger community people
  assume greater responsibility for their
  collective protection and neighbour interaction
  increases
• Social interaction and social cohesion leads to
  ISC

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Community Development Approaches to Crime
Prevention

• Three Broad (over-lapping) Approaches
• Social Development Address high risk factors
  and foster the socio-economic status of
  neighbourhood residents
• Social Organization Foster social interaction,
  social cohesion, informal social control,
  community organizing
• Physical Development - Physical development of a
  community, beautification projects, etc.

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Important Principles

• Important Principles
• Community-based!
• Organize involve community members at all
  stages (including problem identification
  analysis)
• Address (prioritize) needs of community
• Combine different strategies to address multiple
  problems
• Multi-agency, partnership approach
• Implement at different institutional levels

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Case Studies
http//www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpd.nsf/pages/albur
ycpp_2.8 http//www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpd.nsf/pag
es/cpplans_newcastleLGA_area1 http//www.community
builders.nsw.gov.au/solutions/canterbury/can.html
http//www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpd.nsf/pages/cpplan
s_bre.sugcom http//www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpd.nsf
/pages/cpplans_coffs5 http//www.prevention.gc.ca/
en/library/publications/children/compend/index.htm
l http//www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/solution
s/canterbury/can.html http//www.crimereduction.go
v.uk/safercommunities.htm http//www.prevention.gc
.ca/en/library/publications/fact_sheets/facts/inde
x.htmlKidSafe-Vancouver
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Problem-Solving Exercise