top of page

After the consideration and analyses of the characteristics of criminal event, crime seems to be preventable. The Situational Crime Prevention aims to prevent crime by removing opportunity for offenders and the reward whilst increasing the risk of committing an offence.

It consists of strategies such as manipulations of the environment and manipulation of criminal opportunities through surveillance and target hardening (Lee 2010). Using such methods, my aim is to address spatial issues of the high number of suitable targets and poor security and remove opportunities for crime. 

Theories that stems directly from opportunity framework, such as routine activity theory, crime pattern and Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) focus on the specific characteristic of a criminal act.

SCP measures the process through which an offence is committed rather than considering the offenders’ characteristics as the main reason (Huisman and van Erp 2013).

This approach does not focus on the roots of crime and understanding the causes, instead it considers the situational context of an offence (Lee 2010). Across the wide range of violent and property offences, such crimes are likely to share some commonalities.

Opportunity Framework suggests that offenders and offences committed seem to be predictable and therefore preventable (Lee 2010). Situational Crime Prevention focuses on the criminal act. Detailed analyses using the “script” method helps to identify issues and remove possible opportunities. Therefore, understanding how offender commits the crime can be used to prevent similar offences (Freilich 2014).

SCPT is strongly related to the routine activity theory and three components of a criminal event: suitable target, lack of capable guardian and offender who is motivated (Braga and Clarke 2014). 

SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION

3. Rewards to be gained
2. Perceived risks of detection
1. Effort required to carry out the offence
4.Situational opportunities 
5. Neutralisation
‘SCPT identifies five characteristics of criminal opportunity’

(Huisman and van Erp, 2013).

Clarke (1997)

bottom of page