What is Crime Prevention?

When there is crime in society, there can be no justice.
-Plato-

The Lynchburg Police Department Crime Prevention Program is made up of all of the men and women who serve daily in the Lynchburg Police Department. While the Crime Prevention Unit itself is made up of DARE, School Resource Officers, and Community Relations Personnel, one civilian is assigned solely for the purpose of providing assistance to Officers and citizens in need of technical assistance in prevention. We believe that Crime Prevention is both a departmental and community responsibility. The question is, however, "What exactly is Crime Prevention?":

In order for Crime to occur, three elements must be present. These are:

Desire Opportunity Ability

These elements of crime are usually depicted in a triangle.

As with any triangle, if a single leg is missing, a triangle cannot be formed. This holds true in regard to crime as well. If any one of these is missing, no crime will occur.

The main objective of Crime Prevention is to reduce the opportunity for crime, thereby reducing the likelihood that crime will occur. In our " Elements of Crime" Triangle, by removing any one of the legs of the triangle, one removes the crime. One can remove the desire to commit a crime by educating. One can remove the ability to commit a crime by incarcerating, and one can remove the opportunity to commit a crime by target-hardening. Effective Crime Prevention incorporates all of these things.

Removing the Desire To Commit A Crime

Education

 Fear of Reprisal
School Resource Officers

H.E.A.T.
(Help Eliminate Auto Theft):
In Virginia Call: 1-800-947-HEAT

D.A.R.E.
  • Increased Arrest Rates
  • Other Enforcement Related Programs
M.A.D.D.
  • Visibility Patrolling, Beat Cops
  • Increased Funding for Enforcement (Hire More Officers)

Removing The Ability To Commit a Crime
Removing the ability to commit a crime is the province of traditional law enforcement methods. These "Tried And True" methods, such as Arresting criminals, incarcerating criminals, and sentencing criminals to serve time in incarceration facilities do work to remove the ability to commit crimes, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary solution to the problem. While incarceration disallows criminals from victimizing persons not in jail, it does not provide a lasting solution. Laws such as Megan's Law, and Three Strikes and You're Out, are efforts to reduce this problem. Some countries use other methods to remove the ability to commit crimes, i.e. mutilation, caning, public humiliation and summary execution.

Removing The Opportunity to Commit a Crime

Naturally:
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Organized Measures:
  • Neighborhood Watch
  • National Night Out
  • Resident Patrols (Citizens On Patrol)
  • Police Patrolling (High Visibility Patrolling)
  • Crime Prevention Planning Committees
  • Parking decals, and Resident ID cards.
Target Hardening:
  • Improved Doors and Windows
  • Improved Locks
  • Alarm Systems
  • Lighting
In order to design an effective crime prevention program, it is essential to commit, from the beginning, to dedicate the time and resources necessary to develop a program. Often, organizations make an effort to implement Crime Prevention, by creating a small individual unit to handle all Crime Prevention related requests the department receives. This small unit, often staffed by only one person, becomes the catch-all for the department, providing everything from security assessments to public talks to neighborhood watch, to code enforcement.

This is an ineffective way to provide these services. Crime Prevention requires a departmental commitment, and must include an emphasis on all aspects of law enforcement. All department members should be responsible for performing crime prevention duties. It is not possible for a single officer to handle requests and generate new initiatives effectively. Instead, all members should remember that, according to the Code of Virginia, Section 15.1-138, Powers of the Police Force:

"each policeman shall endeavor to PREVENT the commission within the county, city and town of offenses against laws of the Commonwealth and against the ordinances and regulations of the county, city and town; shall observe and enforce such laws, ordinances and regulations; shall detect and arrest offenders against the same; shall preserve the good order of the county, city and town; and shall secure the inhabitants therein from violence and their property from injury."

So, how does an agency effectively do this? First, understand that law enforcement, community policing and crime prevention are all aspects of the same thing, the sole purpose is to safeguard the public from those people who would cause them injury. Second, while specialization is necessary, don't forget that your patrol staff are generalists, and must remain so. Too much specialization results in a lack of enforcement ability, and reduces the overall effectiveness of your operation. Third, crime prevention requires training, do not send untrained personnel out to offer suggestions, and provide security assessments, an agency opens itself to a great deal of liability in this manner. If you would not send a new police officer who has not yet been to the academy on a domestic, why would you send someone without training to recommend the best security system for a company?

Treat Crime Prevention as an integral part of your agency's daily activity, and crime can be reduced in your home town.

Try these agencies for some great information on crime prevention: