Essay Sample on Crime Prevention

Introduction

Responsibilization is a risk management scheme that is initiated by communities to curb crime in the society. Community involvement in the prevention of crime and justice for criminals includes the cooperation of organizations and residents. In many countries, scholars have influenced the responsibilization scheme in the crime prevention domain. The results of this model indicate that surveillance-centred risk management and social abandonment schemes co-exist especially with war notions. The results have inferences about crime prevention and are viewed as after terrorist-based as some theorists state. The security function of the state has a long history of crime prevention measures, and they use it as a conceptual tool significant in criminal justice (Spiller, 2019). Crime prevention helps in minimizing the economic and social costs associated with the criminal justice systems.

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Preventive State

First, the preventive state has led to the rise of criminological inquiry to understanding the risks of crime concerning the protection of the public and preventive measures and security provision (Lucia, 2019). The review by this preventive state has led to the consideration of crime prevention pain which involves the costs and critiques of practices of prevention. It is based on this that community-based policing interventions to curb crime have emerged. Citizen-led watch groups have emerged to provide insight information even through online platforms to enable public support of policing (Spiller, 2019).

Due to terrorist attacks, the law enforcement bodies and government agencies have intensified ways to responsibilize citizens in the war against terrorism and crime. Due to an increase in crime in cities, preventive crime agencies have focused on the implementation of crime prevention in these cities. They have proposed that an integrated action plan for crime prevention should be based on the public address of problems involving housing, education and health and consider the prevention of recidivism (Lucia, 2019). They have also given guidelines on the obligations of the law enforcement agencies at all levels to implement the action plan concerning principles of human rights.

In line with these findings, responsibilization as a mode of crime preventions has been encouraged by various nations. It is based on this that the responsibility of the public to take up policing roles on crime prevention have to be analyzed to determine its positive and negative outcomes. More emphasis is put on how the facilitation of public police practices is done through online platforms and surveillance to combat crime concerning the resulting implications. This paper, therefore, tends to analyze the risks and benefits associated with responsibilization as the mode of crime prevention.

Risks and Challenges

Gathering intelligence through public police watch groups has had various implications for the public, primarily through online platforms (Spiller, 2019). This puts the participants at high risks of cyberbullying by criminals. Due to society morals, there is fear and decline in trust in both interpersonal and expert systems for the flow of sensitive information in the community (Hunt, 2003). This poses a challenge to the preventive state to get information on crimes community in society. There are some watch groups like the Townbury Alert and Pickpocket Watch established in the US to give information on the images captured on the CCTV (Spiller, 2019). This puts the participants at a greater risk as they can be traced by terrorists and be physically injured or killed.

Advantages of Responsibilization

The modern technology is significantly contributing to crime prevention as the availability of CCTVs and tracking devices can quickly help trace the criminals. The involvement of the public through online platforms makes it better considering the ethical and moral aspects of the prevention of crime (Hunt, 2003). Imprisonment has been being used by the preventive crime state as punishment within the criminal justice system, and the confinement of persons adjudged has been considered dangerous (Lucia, 2019). This awareness to the general public instils fear in them to commit a crime and seek the moral upright of living in the society.

Organized crime prevention plans involving the public usually leads to the promotion of community safety as well as contributing to the sustainable development of countries. It also enhances the rise in the living standards of the citizens of the given country. Responsibilization of crime prevention also reduces the social and economic costs related to criminal justice agencies. The use of social media like Facebook has contributed positively to the responsibilization as a mode of crime prevention as information shared is highly reached by the preventive crime states. Involvement of Communities in rehabilitation and treatment of criminal offenders contribute positively to crime prevention. Evidence-based initiates brought about by numerous studies, and community education on crime have provided positive results through technical assistance programs on crime resulting in a reduction of crime (Spiller, 2019).

Conclusion

The police sector plays a crucial role in working with the general public and communities to help prevent crime, through public-policy policing and the same techniques that lead to a collaboration of the police and public. Also, the law enforcing organs of government contribute positively to restorative justice. The layers and prosecutors help in the prevention of crime through the provision of justice in the criminal justice systems. Furthermore, some countries have been employing evidence-based, participatory and consultative approaches in preventing and controlling crime. They have done this by involving the society, as well as non-governmental bodies and the private sectors. This has, in general, led to the use of responsibilization as a model of crime prevention. With the advanced technology, it is expected that law enforcement bodies use public social media through watch groups to gather intelligence about a crime to obtain direct information and carry out investigation the crime.

On the other hand, victims’ protection and protection of crime witnesses are vital to encourage public participation in controlling and preventing crime. They are usually threatened and intimidated. Sometimes they are physically assaulted and killed. Therefore having sound criminal justice systems for victims and witness protection is key to responsibilization with crime prevention. The provided information on the surveillance and annual rise in criminology has made it possible in understanding crime prevention involving responsibilization.

In conclusion, by looking at the disadvantages and advantages of responsibilization as a mode of crime prevention, the advantages are more than the challenges that might arise in the process. Although the challenges are there for the involvement of the communities in combatting crime, their advantages are seen to be more as a safer society is more likely to enhance social and economic development. From these findings, responsibilization is seen to be a useful model of crime prevention hence answering the question as to whether it is an effective or not.

Reference

Hunt, A. (2003). 7. Risk and Moralization in Everyday Life. Risk and Morality, 165-192. doi: 10.3138/9781442679382-010

Spiller, K., & L'Hoiry, X. (2019). Watch Groups, Surveillance, and Doing It for Themselves. Surveillance & Society, 17(3/4), 288-304. doi: 10.24908/ss.v17i3/4.8637

Zedner, L., & Ashworth, A. (2019). The Rise and Restraint of the Preventive State. Annual Review of Criminology, 2(1), 429-450. doi: 10.1146/annurev-criminol-011518-024526.