Situational Crime Prevention Concepts

Environmental Design and Crime

• Crime theories from previous lessons focused primarily on criminal motivation.
• In the 1970s, sociologists proposed that situational factors also influence crime occurrence.
• Offenders require opportunities to commit crimes, influenced by their surroundings.
• Situational crime prevention suggests reducing opportunities can deter crime.
• Comparison with routine activity theory highlights three elements: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian.

Main Prevention Measures

• Two primary strategies in situational crime prevention: reducing physical opportunities and increasing risks of being caught.
• Reducing physical opportunities involves environmental alterations to complicate crime commission.
• Example: installing secure locks can deter criminals unwilling to invest time.
• Increasing the risk of capture does not solely rely on police presence; public reporting plays a role.
• Fear of retaliation often prevents public interference during crimes.

Environmental Design Applications

• Crime can be deterred through environmental design, minimizing opportunities for criminal activities.
• Examples include cul-de-sacs limiting access for potential criminal behavior, facilitating resident surveillance.
• Critics argue some crimes, like bank robberies, are not opportunistic and may require different deterrence strategies.
• Increasing the risk of being caught, such as hiring security personnel or installing cameras, can reduce bank robbery occurrences.

Comparison with Dispositional Theories

• Dispositional theories include social disorganization theory, general strain theory, traits theories, and life course theory.
• These theories focus on individual traits and societal factors influencing criminal behavior, contrasting with the situational approach.