Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
32
Crime and fear of crime
Norman Davidson
In the last two decades, crime has become one of
the most pervasive features of quality of life. 'Law
and order' vies with health and the economy as
the most salient concern of British citizens, and
the picture is not radically different in most
Western societies. The influence of this concern is
such that many British police forces now see
delivery of quality of life as or more important
than catching criminals or preserving public order.
At the same time, there have been significant shifts
in public policy on law and order, from detection
to prevention, from offender to victim, from
imprisonment to community sentences, which
both reflect and mediate public opinion. In this
chapter, I will explore the meaning of these
transformations from a geographical perspective
and illustrate the increasing role for geographical
skills in analysis of the problem and in the search
for solutions.
The point of departure for this review is some
observations about contemporary patterns of
crime with resonances in classical conceptions of
spatial concentration. The causes of crime are
complex, and no single theory is sufficient to
explain the wide variety of offences that are
proscribed by law. In addition, there may be
competing definitions of events by victims, police
and prosecutors that confound simple
prescriptions. Two current theories within
criminology provide a focus for understanding.
One is rational choice theory, which suggests that
offender behaviour can be best understood in
terms of choices made about costs and benefits on
the information available at the time of the event.
Offenders are thus seen as decision makers, and
this may also be applied to victims and others
involved in the event, whether directly or
indirectly. Routine activities theory provides the
framework for analysis. It suggests three essential
elements for a crime to take place: a suitable target;
a motivated offender; and the absence of capable
guardians (protecting the victim) or an intimate
handler (inhibiting the offender).
This 'criminal triangle' —victim, offender and
situation—has implications for crime prevention,
which will be reviewed below. It also has powerful
links with observations of the uneven geographical
distribution of the three elements. These are
illustrated in Figure 32.1. Recent work on the
incidence of crime has shown the extent to which
victimisation is not a random event. Data from the
British Crime Survey show that just 4 per cent of
victims suffer 44 per cent of crime. Repeated
Figure 32.1
The concentration of crime and the links with
place.
