Situational Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Motivation

Every day should be National Crime Prevention Day — there’s never any excuse to be less than vigilant about your home or business. Having just one day a year to consider your security needs leaves over 300 days where someone nefarious can target you or your property and cause real damage. There is no excuse for this.

Before learning about crime prevention, it’s best to begin with crime itself. In 2018, there were an estimated 7,196,045 property crime offenses in the nation. Burglary accounted for over 72 percent of all property crimes in 2018, and Burglary accounted for 17.1 percent. (ucr.fbi.gov)

The rate of property crime is about 2,200 per 100,000 inhabitants but varies from city to city. While the numbers may seem high, crime rates in the United States have actually been on a pretty steady decline in the last 5 years.

That’s great news! But why exactly is crime diminishing? Several studies point to situational crime prevention and the use of professional surveillance systems.

“Crime hindrance is key to good law enforcement, but situational crime prevention brings a different plan of attack. Situational crime prevention is based on the belief that crime can be deterred by making strategic changes to surroundings. This works by targeting the how (rather than why) crime happens—and therefore, how it can be prevented,” according to research by Ashley Brooks at Rasmussen College.

This type of crime prevention focuses on specific places, problems, or times to reduce specific types of crime and increase the risks for offenders.

How Does Situational Crime Prevention Work?

Here are a few real-world examples of what this looks like in action, based on real techniques law enforcement officers are trained to use:

Get Rid of Target: In an area where vehicle break-ins of auto theft are a problem, park a luxury car in a garage rather than on the street.
Increase Natural Surveillance: Including well-lit streets and housing designs that allow neighbors to see one another’s belongings when urban planning.
Alert Conscience: Such as roadside signs that flash your speed when driving too fast or warnings at the beginning of a movie that state “piracy is not a victimless crime.”
Augmenting Conventional Surveillance: Installing alarms or security cameras in conspicuous places so offenders are aware of any surveillance measures.

Profit from Situational Crime Prevention

You should know that it is always better to forbid a crime than react after an offense has been committed. Why is that?

The major benefit is that crime prevention saves money. It’s much more cost-effective to deter the crime than have to pay for potential property damage, replacing stolen goods, or, particularly, dealing with the theft of an irreplaceable item. Also included may be your tax money that specifically goes to law enforcement officials.

Investigation also suggests that the optimistic impacts of hindering interventions can distribute to other times and locations, meaning the benefits of crime prevention has a compounding effect, helping multiple communities rather than just one isolated location.

How Can You Forbid Crime and Exercise Situational Crime Prevention?

One of the easiest and most beneficial ways to prevent crime is with a monitored surveillance system. Home and business owners are 33% less likely to be damaged with a security system. That’s because burglars like easy targets and a home with a professionally monitored surveillance system is anything but.

A Rutgers University study determines that neighborhoods in which burglar alarms were densely installed have fewer incidents of residential burglaries than communities with fewer burglar alarms.

This study also credits the increase in professional alarm systems with a decrease in burglaries and the overall crime rate.

Thus, while understanding that the crime rates are going down, it’s also important to note that this is likely because home and business surveillance systems are increasing.

Concerned about Preventing Crime at Your Home or Business?

Remain secure and prevent crime with a locally, paid monitored security system. Dyezz has been protecting places, families, and investments for over 20 years. Don’t wait any longer. Start today with a free consultation.

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