Situational Crime Prevention - Assignment Example

Situational Crime Prevention. Why does the current problem occur? I choose a shopping mall as the place of choice for crime analysis. The shop outlets have continued to experience the problem of repeat theft where the muggers have been targeting the items on display for their shoplifting. The problem is still occurring because of failure by the mall management to foster adequate security measures that may further help to contain the situation. Another thing, the target items are easily accessible to the muggers as they are just on the shelves where any person who visits the mall is in a position to come into touch with these items. The items mainly include watches, jewelry and small electronics that can be easily hidden as the muggers walk out of the mall. Twenty-Five Techniques of Situational Prevention. Increase the effort Increase the risks Reduce the reward Reduce Provocations Remove Excuses 1.Target Hardening Transparent glass protectors. Security staff deployment. Barcodes fixing on items 6. Extend guardianship. Deploy more security officers. Increase CCT surveillance. 11. Conceal targets. No physical contacts with shop items. Touching only in the presence of shop attendees 16. Reduce Frustrations and stress. Smooth customer care. Wide entry and exit points. Polite shop attendees 21.Set rules Shoplifting penalties. Whistleblowers’ rewarding. 2.Control Access to items. Reducing physical contacts with items. Screening before and after going to the items zone. 7. Assist Natural/ artificial surveillance. Improve shop lighting. Increase the shopping space to minimize hideouts. Use bright and one color lighting to avoid camouflage. 12. Remove targets. Remove watches and jewelry from unsafe displays. 17. Avoid disputes. Population control in shops. Fixed item prices. 22. Post Instructions. Anti-mugging slogans. “Mugging is a Crime “ posters. 3.Screen Exits. All items screened to confirm the purchase. All shoppers screened. 8. Reduce Anonymity. All cars to be screened. Produce IDs upon entry. Biometric door locks. 13. Identify property. Barcode screening for sold items. Special shopping cards upon entry. 18. Reduce emotional arousal. Controlled item prices. Prohibit price discriminations. Enhance formal talks with clients. 23. Alert Conscience Anti-mugging posters. “ Tight security” posters. 4. Deflect offenders. Enclosure of expensive items. Ticket issuance upon entry into these areas. 9. Utilize Place managers. CCTVs around the shops. Constant round checks on staffs. Provide daily security report. 14. Disrupt markets. Monitor all possible pawn shops. Licensing of street vendors of watches and jewelry. 19. Neutralize Peer pressure. Educate on effects of mugging. Promote self- contentment campaigns in the neighborhood. 24. Assist Compliance. Whistleblowers are rewarding. Federal government corporation in crime-busting. Comply with pawn shop owners. 5.Control tools/ weapons. Smart guns are screening. Metal detectors. No gun policy. 10. Strengthen formal surveillance. Installation of burglar alarms High-resolution power CCTV. 15. Deny benefits. Reduce publicity on the items sold. Have the items in separate parts. 20. Discourage imitation. Tight security on stolen items. High penalties for muggers. 25. Control Weapons. Anti-weapons posters at entry. Tight metal detectors. Regarding the specific crime that you choose from the list above, what level of effort is necessary? The best and most productive efforts in containing the watches and jewelry mugging, tightening the security would be the most appropriate and necessary effort. This will come in the way of, one, metal detectors installation at entry and exit points to screen any potential weapon entry. Body screening to ensure that there are no hidden items in the shopper's bodies. CCTV installation for managers will also boost the security in these malls and enable managers to monitor and observe the movements of all the shoppers. This will adequately help in identifying the suspicious individuals and thereby reduce events of criminals getting away unnoticed. Lastly, the deployment of security staffs in the shopping halls will instill fear and a sense of vigilance to potential muggers and therefore reduce their confidence in committing the crimes. Once fear is instilled on potential muggers that they are being watched and their movement monitored, they will gradually shun away from attempting the crimes.  What is the current risk?  In these shopping malls, the current is theft of valuable watches and jewelry. The nature of their display is making them easily accessible and physical contacts by shoppers makes it more comfortable to even think of getting away with them. The price tags are also a thing in perpetuating the mugging. Muggers can identify the high prices o these items and therefore calculate their luck in making away with these items for selling to street vendors and pawn shops. What are the provocations?  One, the high prices are not only a provoking thing for potentials muggers but also a frustrating thing for those who cannot afford them. Owing to the prices, they are tempted to steal and instead resell the items on the streets since they know the range of prices for the stolen items. There is also the provoking regarding emotional arousal for buyers who cannot afford the items and therefore some end up thinking of stealing to have the items for their loving lifestyles. This is also an issue of peer pressure. Peer pressure is provoking in that if a shopper knows a friend of his/her who has the items, they are tempted too to get them so that they can feel at per with their friends. Another provocation is the issue of imitation. Once one mugger gets away with the items, their friends are tempted to come and try it and see if also they can make away with the muggings. What are the excuses? One of the excuses the muggers might have is the absence of set rules. In the malls, there are no clear rules on what muggers might face if they are caught. There are also no awareness posters to warn any person thinking of mugging in the malls. The excuses, therefore, seem to revolve around the security awareness issue. So, to avoid further mugging, there need to be clear security rules, and penalties for any person caught mugging in the malls. How can the problem be prevented? Recommendation for increasing effort. The mall management needs to fasten security in the malls. More CCTV, metal detectors, and body screening need to be severe and adequately done to all the mall visitors. This security tightening will make sure that all the mall visitors are adequately checked when getting in and out and therefore reduce the chances of muggers getting away with the valuable items. Recommendation for increasing risks. Fixing of barcodes on these items will increase the risks for the muggers getting caught. It will make their work challenging and therefore reduce the chances of any potential muggers getting away with stolen goods from the malls. Recommendation for reducing rewards. This can be achieved by having the items dissembled such that whenever the item is bought, some assembling need to be done. This will discourage the muggers in that the item they may be able to steal is not complete hence reducing their rewards upon stealing. Recommendation for reducing provocations. Removing price tags on these items will reduce provocations where those who cannot afford will shy away from enquiring the prices from the shop attendees. Without knowing the price, peer pressure is reduced and hence reducing instances of mugging. Recommendation for removing excuses. The security department in these malls needs to have all security alerts features in place to warn shoppers from attempting to steal from the malls. They will be discouraged if also the penalties are well put for all to see. Read More