Chapter 9 Essay Questions Amanda Brogdon October 9, 2011

1. Wilson and Kellings broken windows theory suggests that if the police concentrate on disorder and minor crimes, it would have an impact on more serious crime in a neighborhood. Do you agree with their theory? Why or why not? Wilson and Kelling's treatise on "Broken Windows" and a realization that the police could not control crime without the assistance of the community. Problem solving represented a new mantra for policing . It represented a departure from routine preventive patrol to a philosophy whereby the police attempted to identify problems, especially concentrations of crime and disorder known as hot spots, and implement tactics to ameliorate the causes. It also emphazised thinking outside the box, that is, officers were encouraged to search for solutions that might be nontraditional in nature. This resulted in prevention becoming more important. So Yes, I do agree with their theory because its clearly seen that the smaller the problem leads to bigger problems and if you stop the smaller problems from happening then you can also prevent bigger crimes from taking place.

2. According to Shaw and McKays social disorganization theory, crime and delinquency rates were higher in inner-city areas that were characterized as transitional. What do you think contributed to those high rates? Shaw and McKay found that delinquencey and crime rates were higher in the inner city areas due to them having the highest levels of population turnovers. Crime generally was the highest. So high population is what generally contributed to those high rates.

3. Routine activities theory talks about a motivated criminal. Define motivated criminal, and list some reasons a motivated criminal commits crime. A motivated criminal is a person that has a need or a motive to commit a crime. Criminals make decisions to commit crime to fulfill some need or purpose. For example they may commit a crime to obtain food or pay rent for their family, to obtain drugs, purchase a car or accerssories for their car to enhance their reputation within the community, party, pay bills, or buy jewelry. When a criminal has a need, he or she is motivated to commit a crime.

4. What is the definition of situational crime prevention? Do you think it is effective? Why or why not? Situational crime prevention is defined as oppertunity reducing tactics that are directed at highly specific forms of crime, involve management, design or manipulation of the immediate enviroment is as systematic and permanent way possible, make crime more difficult and risky, or less rewarding and excusable as judged by a wide range of offenders. I do personally think that it is an effective method in some cases, but in others its not! You have criminals who take stolen jewelry to wholesalers that buy gold and make a killing off of the gold that they bring in because of the price of gold being so high now.

5. What is the purpose of neighborhood watch programs? Do you think they are an effective deterrent to crime? Why or why not?

6. A relatively new community crime prevention campaign revolves around terrorist threats. A number of police departments have been asking people to report suspicious persons and activities that may be related to possible terrorist threats. Do you think this type of campaign will be effective? Why or why not? Do you see any drawbacks to this type of campaign? What are they? First, it is ment to reduce crime, both directly, throught the "observe and report" function, and indirectly, by being a vehicle for the encouragement of other crime prevention practices. Second, there is a more general hope that NW will kindle a sense of community among residents by giving them a common purpose, and by getting them to talk to each other and watch out for each other. Again, I think that this is another safe and effective way of preventing crime because there is always someone watching and protecting someone and you never know who it is!

7. Crime, especially sensational or unusual crimes, is of significant interest to reporters. According to Chermak, about half of all crime reporting deals with violence. More importantly, is the fact that the media tends to distort such coverage. How do you think media coverage of crime affects the publics perception of crime? Why do you think the media distorts their coverage of crime?

The fact that the media tends to distort such coverage of indivituals who commit bizarre acts, the coverage tends to bias the public and promote fear of victimization that is diametrically opposed to police purposes. The public comes to develop a distorted view of crime and people tend to believe that there are many more rapes, murders, assualts, and violent crimes than actually occur. The media distorts their coverage of crime because it creates an impression of higher crime rates by reporting on criminal acts in other communities without clearly specifying where the crime took place creating the appereance of a crime wave.

8. In addition to enforcement actions, crime prevention specialists work with people to reduce conditions that can lead to a reduction in crime. To a large extent, crime prevention is about community involvement. What are your thoughts on community policing? Do you think it is effective at reducing crimes? If so, why do you think it is effective? If you think it does not help to reduce crimes, why do you think it is ineffective at crime reduction? I think that community policing is very effective because as long as there is always someone watching and protecting the communities then criminals are gonna be less interested in commiting the crimes.

9. Your textbook states that social disorganization is a significant factor in crime rates. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer. I agree that social disorganization is a significant factor in crime rates because if the people of the communities was organized and paying attention to more to stopping the little crimes then bigger crimes would not be committed.

10. According to your textbook, there are areas or neighborhoods that have higher concentrations of crime and have greater numbers of criminals. How would you explain this? What do you think could be done to lower the concentration of crime in these neighborhoods? I think that if there was more people involved in community policing that there wouldn't be as much crimes because then they could be prevented from happening. Crimes are committed due to over population in communities. So if there were more community policing and neighborhood watch programs alot more crimes could be prevented.