Evaluate sociological explanations of the impact of crime prevention strategies.
Crime prevention is often seen as the most useful way of reducing crime and deviance. Sociologists have
presented several ways of preventing crime. This includes right realist approach of harsh and strict
policing, left realist approaches of education and social changes, and deterrent surveillance strategies.
Overall left realists have the most convincing crime prevention strategies due to their evidenced
methods, however they still do not account for all crime.
Some sociologists argue that the most effective crime prevention strategy is a deterrent. A pre-emptive
measure that strongly discourages the offender from committing the crime. For example, Foucault
argued that as there has been a change in power and governance, this has transferred how we perceive
crime. Pre 18th century there was sovereign power which meant that the monarch had control over the
people, and used harsh physical and public punishments, this changed to disciplinary power which
means that states use psychological control and punishment. The change of methods also means a shift
from punishment to prevention with the increase of surveillance. We now have mass CCTV, guards and
feel like we are under constant watch, like the panopticon prison, which means that we are less likely to
commit crime because the likelihood of being caught is so high. This is amplified when we consider the
mass media. Mathisen agrees that we are watched by the few, but that we are also watched by the
many through social media, dashcams, camera doorbells. Individuals watch other individuals which
creates another level of informal social control to prevent crime. The use of surveillance as a crime
prevention tool is so effective because, as Foucault argued, it turns surveillance into self-surveillance
and discipline into self-discipline. Therefore, people control and prevent their own criminal actions
without a need for any intervention. Not only does this seem very efficient, but also cost effective.
However, the reliability and utility of surveillance as a form of crime prevention is not highly effective.
Norris suggests that apart from car parks, there is no evidence that the presence of CCTV reduces crime
or the likelihood of someone to commit crime is that location. The reliance of being deterred from CCTV
is that the criminals have rational choice. They are aware of the high likelihood of being caught for the
crime and are aware that the punishment is not worth the reward of the criminal act. However, it has to
be considered that the rationality of criminals may not be overly high and therefore surveillance cannot
be said to be the best crime prevention strategy.
Right realists also use deterrence as their main way of preventing crime, disrupting the ability and
capacity of criminals to commit crime. A key element of this is target hardening- making the target or
victim of the criminal act less accessible to deter the criminal from attempting to target it. This is done
through what Felson calls hostile architecture. This is when buildings and social areas are altered to
prevent their misuse (designing out crime), such as putting bars over benches to prevent homeless
people from sleeping on them or skateboarders from using them. This therefore reduces crime as that
location is much harder to commit crimes on. Felson also argues that crime is part of a person's routine
activity and therefore to prevent it, action needs to be taken to disrupt this routine. A crime is
committed when there is a motivated offender, an accessible target, and a lack of a capable guardian.
Therefore, if we remove the conditions, then crime can be prevented through target hardening (to
remove the accessible target), increasing surveillance (to create a capable guardian), and reduce the
benefits of crime (to demotivate the offender). Action needs to be taken to the situation, and changes to
the environment to prevent crime. Further environmental crime prevention includes improving areas to
demotivate criminals from attacking that area. Broken windows theory outlines that when there are
signs of disorder, such as broken windows, that are not quickly repaired, then this tells deviants that no
Crime prevention is often seen as the most useful way of reducing crime and deviance. Sociologists have
presented several ways of preventing crime. This includes right realist approach of harsh and strict
policing, left realist approaches of education and social changes, and deterrent surveillance strategies.
Overall left realists have the most convincing crime prevention strategies due to their evidenced
methods, however they still do not account for all crime.
Some sociologists argue that the most effective crime prevention strategy is a deterrent. A pre-emptive
measure that strongly discourages the offender from committing the crime. For example, Foucault
argued that as there has been a change in power and governance, this has transferred how we perceive
crime. Pre 18th century there was sovereign power which meant that the monarch had control over the
people, and used harsh physical and public punishments, this changed to disciplinary power which
means that states use psychological control and punishment. The change of methods also means a shift
from punishment to prevention with the increase of surveillance. We now have mass CCTV, guards and
feel like we are under constant watch, like the panopticon prison, which means that we are less likely to
commit crime because the likelihood of being caught is so high. This is amplified when we consider the
mass media. Mathisen agrees that we are watched by the few, but that we are also watched by the
many through social media, dashcams, camera doorbells. Individuals watch other individuals which
creates another level of informal social control to prevent crime. The use of surveillance as a crime
prevention tool is so effective because, as Foucault argued, it turns surveillance into self-surveillance
and discipline into self-discipline. Therefore, people control and prevent their own criminal actions
without a need for any intervention. Not only does this seem very efficient, but also cost effective.
However, the reliability and utility of surveillance as a form of crime prevention is not highly effective.
Norris suggests that apart from car parks, there is no evidence that the presence of CCTV reduces crime
or the likelihood of someone to commit crime is that location. The reliance of being deterred from CCTV
is that the criminals have rational choice. They are aware of the high likelihood of being caught for the
crime and are aware that the punishment is not worth the reward of the criminal act. However, it has to
be considered that the rationality of criminals may not be overly high and therefore surveillance cannot
be said to be the best crime prevention strategy.
Right realists also use deterrence as their main way of preventing crime, disrupting the ability and
capacity of criminals to commit crime. A key element of this is target hardening- making the target or
victim of the criminal act less accessible to deter the criminal from attempting to target it. This is done
through what Felson calls hostile architecture. This is when buildings and social areas are altered to
prevent their misuse (designing out crime), such as putting bars over benches to prevent homeless
people from sleeping on them or skateboarders from using them. This therefore reduces crime as that
location is much harder to commit crimes on. Felson also argues that crime is part of a person's routine
activity and therefore to prevent it, action needs to be taken to disrupt this routine. A crime is
committed when there is a motivated offender, an accessible target, and a lack of a capable guardian.
Therefore, if we remove the conditions, then crime can be prevented through target hardening (to
remove the accessible target), increasing surveillance (to create a capable guardian), and reduce the
benefits of crime (to demotivate the offender). Action needs to be taken to the situation, and changes to
the environment to prevent crime. Further environmental crime prevention includes improving areas to
demotivate criminals from attacking that area. Broken windows theory outlines that when there are
signs of disorder, such as broken windows, that are not quickly repaired, then this tells deviants that no
