CMY2602 – SUMMARY NOTES
LEARNING UNIT 1
All communities are affected by crime
Crime prevention
o Refers to all the measures taken by way of government policy and
private initiative to prevent crime, with the exception of the criminal
justice system
o These measures are defined as crime control
Crime prevention models or approaches refer to a number of deliberate plans
and actions aimed at preventing or controlling crime
Historical development of crime prevention and control in SA:
“Low intensity warfare”
o Warfare techniques were used to achieve aims
These techniques leave marks on the psyche of a nation
o People learnt to resort to violence and public disobedience when they
encountered resistance or were faced with a threat
o People develop a negative attitude towards law enforcement agencies
that enforced unpopular laws or regulations
Initially, crime prevention was seen mainly as a task for the police, the courts
and the correctional services
Since 1960s – now follows a more informal community-based approach
The SA government adopted a National Crime Prevention Plan or Strategy in
1996
o Provides for a national institute linked to the National Growth and
Development Strategy Office
o Advocates an integrated, multidimensional crime prevention model for
interdepartmental operation at central, regional and local authority
levels
o 4 pillars:
The reduction of crime through effective environmental planning
and design focusing on designing systems to reduce the
opportunity for crime and increase the ease of detection and
identification of criminals
The enhancement of community values and campaigns to
educate the community aimed at changing the way communities
react to crime and violence
Involves programmes that make use of public education
and information to facilitate meaningful citizen
participation in crime prevention
Transnational crime prevention strategies for the specific
purpose of crime across the borders
An effective and integrated criminal justice system
Must provide a sure, clear deterrent for criminals and
reduce the risks of reoffending
,Factors crucial to successful crime prevention:
1. State and community involvement in implementing a comprehensive crime
prevention policy
2. A multidimensional crime prevention approach, which incorporates a number
of crime prevention models and their various programmes
3. Crime prevention models and programmes based on causation theories and
factors which may be operative in crime and victimisation
4. Attention to the uniqueness of crime patterns and causes peculiar to a country
or neighbourhood
5. Proper planning and the evaluation of crime prevention programmes (which
must also be cost-effective)
Various crime prevention approaches:
Social crime prevention model
o Based on the premise that socioeconomic structures or systems such
as families, schools, churches, recreational facilities and jobs are
regarded worldwide as important socialisation structures
As they teach young people to adopt the norms and values of
their communities
o Enhancing “social capital” or the relationships between people can be
beneficial in protecting people from crime
“It takes a community to raise a child”
o Shortcomings in these structures may contribute to crime
o Designed to help vulnerable groups such as the young, old, poor and
the unemployed to reduce their risk of turning to crime or becoming
victims of crime
o Include
Comprehensive state policies for cleaning up urban and rural
areas to prevent squatting and provide better housing
Labour policies that focus on job provision
Educational policies with a special focus on the development of
young children, family policies, which focus on parental
guidance and family skills
Youth policies, which foster responsibility and emphasise
education, socialisation and leisure-time activities
Health policies aimed especially at young children, and official
drug and alcohol abuse policies
o Success depends mainly on longer-term programmes
Limiting opportunities for crime
o Attempts to restrict the opportunities for people to become involved in
crime and focuses mainly on potential victims, the community and the
physical environment
o Measures which help
Effective urban and environmental planning, as well as the
upgrading of squatter and problem areas
Publicity campaigns aimed at making people more security
conscious
, Designing homes, buildings and business complexes in such a
way that access points and visibility are used to reduce
opportunities to get involved in crime
Target reinforcement such as burglar bars or tracker systems for
cars
Removal of targets
Removing the ability to commit a crime such as electronic
scanners at airports
Supervisors and security guards at access points
Close-circuit television in problem areas and close-circuit video
cameras in business areas
The prevention of internal crime in commerce and industry, such
as fraud, by introducing appropriate security, personnel
selection and the training of employees
o Particularly successful in preventing crimes against property, crimes
against people, burglary, theft from business and public premises, shop
theft, theft of and from vehicles, and vandalism
The community-based crime prevention model
o Based on the assumption that crime may be prevented by making
potential offenders aware of the risk of being caught in specific
neighbourhoods
o Examples
Neighbourhood watch
Citizen patrols
Community policing
Safe houses
Emergency alarms
2-way radio networks
The biophysical prevention model
o Biophysical factors relate to the inner processes or conditions that
characterise human beings
o Common point of departure is that early identification and treatment
may play an important part in preventing crime
Problem children
o A combination of treatment programmes is often used
Example – medically
o Number of treatment options and the option chosen will depend on the
type of problem
The psychological prevention model
o Focuses on inner psychological needs and disorders that may give rise
to criminal behaviour
Such behaviour is regarded as an outcome of inner disorders,
which often have their origins in early childhood
o Attention is also paid to interpersonal problems and poor
communication, particularly within the family, as these problems may
contribute to criminal behaviour
, o A number of psychological treatments (psychotherapy or therapeutic
interventions) are used in this model and include
Psychological tests
Psychotherapy
Reality therapy
Behaviour modification therapy
Crisis intervention
Social casework
Integrated crime prevention models:
Prevention of specific crimes
o An integrated approach is followed in which a number of factors are
seen as contributing to a particular crime
These factors are addressed using appropriate crime prevention
programmes
o Child abuse – example
o Treatment programme chosen will depend on the causes that have
been identified
o Examples
Rehab programmes
Training in family and social skills
Psychological treatment designed to deal with emotional
problems
Psychological treatment and the acquisition of social skills so as
to prevent the development of problem behaviour in children
Techniques for coping with frustration and assistance with
finding employment
Crime prevention and control by means of the criminal justice system (CJS)
o The CJS relates to legislation, the functions of the police, the courts
and the correctional services, and is commonly known as crime control
o Carious department are closely related and effective cooperation is
essential
o Point of departure is that the law regulates human behaviour and must,
therefore, be just
o Courts must impose appropriate, impartial and fair punishment for the
benefit of the offender and the community
o It is the task of correctional services to help train and rehabilitate
offenders so that they may once again become functional members of
society
LEARNING UNIT 1
All communities are affected by crime
Crime prevention
o Refers to all the measures taken by way of government policy and
private initiative to prevent crime, with the exception of the criminal
justice system
o These measures are defined as crime control
Crime prevention models or approaches refer to a number of deliberate plans
and actions aimed at preventing or controlling crime
Historical development of crime prevention and control in SA:
“Low intensity warfare”
o Warfare techniques were used to achieve aims
These techniques leave marks on the psyche of a nation
o People learnt to resort to violence and public disobedience when they
encountered resistance or were faced with a threat
o People develop a negative attitude towards law enforcement agencies
that enforced unpopular laws or regulations
Initially, crime prevention was seen mainly as a task for the police, the courts
and the correctional services
Since 1960s – now follows a more informal community-based approach
The SA government adopted a National Crime Prevention Plan or Strategy in
1996
o Provides for a national institute linked to the National Growth and
Development Strategy Office
o Advocates an integrated, multidimensional crime prevention model for
interdepartmental operation at central, regional and local authority
levels
o 4 pillars:
The reduction of crime through effective environmental planning
and design focusing on designing systems to reduce the
opportunity for crime and increase the ease of detection and
identification of criminals
The enhancement of community values and campaigns to
educate the community aimed at changing the way communities
react to crime and violence
Involves programmes that make use of public education
and information to facilitate meaningful citizen
participation in crime prevention
Transnational crime prevention strategies for the specific
purpose of crime across the borders
An effective and integrated criminal justice system
Must provide a sure, clear deterrent for criminals and
reduce the risks of reoffending
,Factors crucial to successful crime prevention:
1. State and community involvement in implementing a comprehensive crime
prevention policy
2. A multidimensional crime prevention approach, which incorporates a number
of crime prevention models and their various programmes
3. Crime prevention models and programmes based on causation theories and
factors which may be operative in crime and victimisation
4. Attention to the uniqueness of crime patterns and causes peculiar to a country
or neighbourhood
5. Proper planning and the evaluation of crime prevention programmes (which
must also be cost-effective)
Various crime prevention approaches:
Social crime prevention model
o Based on the premise that socioeconomic structures or systems such
as families, schools, churches, recreational facilities and jobs are
regarded worldwide as important socialisation structures
As they teach young people to adopt the norms and values of
their communities
o Enhancing “social capital” or the relationships between people can be
beneficial in protecting people from crime
“It takes a community to raise a child”
o Shortcomings in these structures may contribute to crime
o Designed to help vulnerable groups such as the young, old, poor and
the unemployed to reduce their risk of turning to crime or becoming
victims of crime
o Include
Comprehensive state policies for cleaning up urban and rural
areas to prevent squatting and provide better housing
Labour policies that focus on job provision
Educational policies with a special focus on the development of
young children, family policies, which focus on parental
guidance and family skills
Youth policies, which foster responsibility and emphasise
education, socialisation and leisure-time activities
Health policies aimed especially at young children, and official
drug and alcohol abuse policies
o Success depends mainly on longer-term programmes
Limiting opportunities for crime
o Attempts to restrict the opportunities for people to become involved in
crime and focuses mainly on potential victims, the community and the
physical environment
o Measures which help
Effective urban and environmental planning, as well as the
upgrading of squatter and problem areas
Publicity campaigns aimed at making people more security
conscious
, Designing homes, buildings and business complexes in such a
way that access points and visibility are used to reduce
opportunities to get involved in crime
Target reinforcement such as burglar bars or tracker systems for
cars
Removal of targets
Removing the ability to commit a crime such as electronic
scanners at airports
Supervisors and security guards at access points
Close-circuit television in problem areas and close-circuit video
cameras in business areas
The prevention of internal crime in commerce and industry, such
as fraud, by introducing appropriate security, personnel
selection and the training of employees
o Particularly successful in preventing crimes against property, crimes
against people, burglary, theft from business and public premises, shop
theft, theft of and from vehicles, and vandalism
The community-based crime prevention model
o Based on the assumption that crime may be prevented by making
potential offenders aware of the risk of being caught in specific
neighbourhoods
o Examples
Neighbourhood watch
Citizen patrols
Community policing
Safe houses
Emergency alarms
2-way radio networks
The biophysical prevention model
o Biophysical factors relate to the inner processes or conditions that
characterise human beings
o Common point of departure is that early identification and treatment
may play an important part in preventing crime
Problem children
o A combination of treatment programmes is often used
Example – medically
o Number of treatment options and the option chosen will depend on the
type of problem
The psychological prevention model
o Focuses on inner psychological needs and disorders that may give rise
to criminal behaviour
Such behaviour is regarded as an outcome of inner disorders,
which often have their origins in early childhood
o Attention is also paid to interpersonal problems and poor
communication, particularly within the family, as these problems may
contribute to criminal behaviour
, o A number of psychological treatments (psychotherapy or therapeutic
interventions) are used in this model and include
Psychological tests
Psychotherapy
Reality therapy
Behaviour modification therapy
Crisis intervention
Social casework
Integrated crime prevention models:
Prevention of specific crimes
o An integrated approach is followed in which a number of factors are
seen as contributing to a particular crime
These factors are addressed using appropriate crime prevention
programmes
o Child abuse – example
o Treatment programme chosen will depend on the causes that have
been identified
o Examples
Rehab programmes
Training in family and social skills
Psychological treatment designed to deal with emotional
problems
Psychological treatment and the acquisition of social skills so as
to prevent the development of problem behaviour in children
Techniques for coping with frustration and assistance with
finding employment
Crime prevention and control by means of the criminal justice system (CJS)
o The CJS relates to legislation, the functions of the police, the courts
and the correctional services, and is commonly known as crime control
o Carious department are closely related and effective cooperation is
essential
o Point of departure is that the law regulates human behaviour and must,
therefore, be just
o Courts must impose appropriate, impartial and fair punishment for the
benefit of the offender and the community
o It is the task of correctional services to help train and rehabilitate
offenders so that they may once again become functional members of
society
