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Ten Principles of Crime Opportunity Theory
1. Background
In situational crime prevention (SCP) 'opportunity' is considered a 'root cause of crime'. Felson and Clarke (1998) suggest that there are 10 ways that theory can assist when thinking about crime prevention. These they term the 'principles'.
2. Features
The 10 principles of crime opportunity theory (Felson and Clarke 1998):
Opportunities play a role in causing all crime, not just common property crime – For example, studies of bars and clubs show how their design and management play an important role in generating violence or preventing it.
Crime opportunities are highly specific – For example the theft of cars for joyriding has a different pattern for opportunity than theft for car parts. Crime opportunity theory helps sort out these differences so responses can be appropriately tailored.
Crime opportunities are concentrated in time and space – Dramatic differences are found from one address to another even in a high crime area. Crime shifts greatly by the hour and day of the week, reflecting the opportunities to carry it out (see Routine Activity Theory).
Crime opportunities depend on everyday movements of activity – Offenders and targets shift according to their routine activities (eg. work, school leisure). For example burglars visit houses in the day when the occupants are out at work or school.
One crime produces the opportunities for another – For example, a successful break-in may encourage the offender to return in the future or a youth who has his bike stolen may feel justified in taking someone else's as a replacement.
Some products offer more tempting crime opportunities – For example easily accessible electrical items such as DVD players and mobile phones are attractive to burglars and robbers, 'hot products'.
Social and technological changes produce new crime opportunities – Products are most vulnerable in their 'growth' and 'mass marketing' stages, as demand for them is at its highest. Most products will reach a 'saturation' stage where most people have them and they then are unlikely to be stolen.
Crime can be prevented by reducing opportunities – The opportunity reducing methods of situational crime prevention cut across everyday life, though they can be tailored to specific situations. It is firmly grounded in opportunity theory.
Reducing opportunities does not usually displace crime – Wholesale displacement is very rare and many studies have found little if no crime displacement. (see crime displacement theory).
Focused opportunity reduction can produce wider declines in crime – Prevention measures in one area can lead to a reduction in another nearby, a 'diffusion of benefits'. This is because offenders might overestimate the reach of those measures.
3. Further reading
Felson, M. and Clarke, R.V. (1998) Opportunity Makes the Thief. Police Research Series Paper 98, Policing and Reducing Crime Unit, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. London: Home Office.
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/fprs98.pdf
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Last update: 20 July 2004