Crime can be reduced by protecting victims from further crime.

Repeat victimisation should be a focus for preventative strategies. Success depends on:

• Ensuring that crime recording systems can accurately identify repeat victims.

• Responding to incidents quickly.

• Motivating businesses to act on the advice received.

Where highly victimised premises are identified, it is advisable to target nearby similar ones to try and pre-empt crime migration to them.

Cameras will either:

• deter thieves

• aid detection

• support successful prosecutions

CCTV schemes work best where there is a high degree of coverage, where they are part of a package of measures, and where the right conditions are in place for the cameras to have the effect intended.

CCTV has most effect on crime levels in town centres with geographically simple layouts. In geographically complex town centres, a high degree of camera coverage can be more difficult to achieve and displacement of crime can take place.

Tilley (1993); Brown (1995)

Instore CCTV

Cameras will either:

Evaluation of TESCO’ Integrated Security System concluded that it led to unknown losses falling from £12,000 to £5,000 per week.

The initial capital costs of the equipment was high at £150K for an average superstore. However, the payback on the capital expenditure was realised within six months.

Burrows (1991)

Design, management and maintenance improvements can deter criminals by making crime harder and more risky to commit.

Evaluation of Secured by Design housing in West Yorkshire found cause for ‘qualified optimism.’ The incidence of recorded crime was much lower where Secured by Design (SBD) was in use, both for new build and for refurbished estates.

Residents’ surveys found lower fear of crime among residents on SBD estates, while there was no evidence of displacement to different offences (Eg vehicle crime).

Repeat burglaries were higher for SBD dwellings, suggesting that where weaknesses were found, offenders would exploit this, and underlining the need for SBD standards to develop rather than remaining fixed.

Armitage (2000)

Crime can be reduced by making it harder and more risky to commit.

A 1994 Department of the Environment/Welsh Office circular notes that solid roller shutters can give an area a ‘dead’ appearance and are vulnerable to graffiti. This in turn can deter the public from using such locations, so losing the benefit of passive surveillance.

Security upgrading schemes can be effective in stemming revictimisation of individual businesses. There is less evidence that they lead to overall reductions in local crime.

Tilley (1993a) (1998)

A strategic and co-operative approach to reducing crime in an area, eg an industrial estate, involving a mix of measures, is more likely to be effective than target hardening by individual units.

Johnstone et al (1994)

Watch schemes

(Business Watch, Hotel Watch, Pub Watch, Club Watch)

The presence of ‘capable guardians’ will deter offenders and./or increase the chances of detection.

Arrest referral schemes for drug-using offenders

Treatment for problem drug users can have a marked impact on drug related crime by removing or reducing the motivation for offending.

A study of arrest referral schemes in 3 locations found a marked fall in drug use, and in acquisitive crime, by a significant proportion of those taking part in schemes.

Prior to arrest referral, the favoured method of raising money to buy drugs were shop theft, selling drugs and burglary.

Crime will be reduced by challenging offenders’ attitudes and behaviour.

A study of the Milton Keynes Retail Theft Initiative (RTI) found evidence that the scheme was having a real impact on rates of re-offending for first-time offenders. The re-offending rates for first time offenders attending the RTI was 3% compared with 35% for first time offenders dealt with differently.

Time spent by police officers dealing with offenders was also significantly reduced, and the scheme’s success encouraged more reporting of shop theft.

The scheme made no discernible difference where offenders had previous criminal records.

Marking goods

Marking and tracking systems can assist police in identifying and recovering stolen merchandise and be a powerful deterrent to thieves.

Keeping accurate and detailed record of computer equipment (especially serial numbers) can assist the police considerably in the detection of computer hardware theft.