Crime Detection and Prevention
It is an unfortunate fact of modern society that crime and criminal activity are part of our world today. This is particularly the case in situations that make an easy target for criminals. Rape and robbery, for example, tend to be encouraged in environments that appear to be easy targets. All-night convenience stores, for example, may appear to be easy targets because they have low security features and often have only one employee per shift. The specific crime under discussion in this case is therefore the night-time robbery of all-night convenience stores.
When considering the factors in the Problem Analysis Chart offered by Clarke and Eck (p. 29), the environment provides a significant incentive for criminal activity. A convenience store at a remote location, for example, might appear to be an "easy" target for robbery. The problem analysis triangle, or crime trianble, may therefore offer valuable insight ino the way in which criminal actvities against the employees and owners of these establishments are encouraged or could be discouraged.
The crime, in this case, is the robbery of convenience stores; offenders tend be youthful. The location and lighting within the convenience store could be conducive to criminal activity, while the target, or victim, is often a single employee or manager working at the time. Such a person may appear to be an easy target when he or she is slightly older or appears to be a little out of shape.
To prevent this crime, or at least discourage it, techniques may include increasing the effort by means of access control such as security gates. Risks may be increased by implementing and focusing neighborhood watch activities in the area, as well as implementing a system whereby more than one employee is appointed per shift during high risk hours. Burglar alarms and security guards will also increase the risk and discourage crimes in this location. Finally, provocations can be reduced by playing soothing music during high-risk hours in convenience stores.
Violent and lethal crimes are one of the most severe problems the United States faces today. This is why it is important not only for criminologists, but also for sociologists to investigate the reasons and provocations behind such crimes. According to the Crime in America (2011) Website, there are several factors that contribute most to violent crimes in the country. The top three include: gangs, juvenile delinquency, and poverty/unemployment. When using the crime triangle, one can identify the underlying non-criminal factors that contribute to violent and lethal crimes. Most perperators in the first two factors, for example, are youthful offenders. They are often subject to peer pressure, creating a social situation in which they would engage in activities that they might not engage in outside their circle of friends. In terms of poverty or unemployment, perpetrators are older, and often driven by desperation in terms of the economy.
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