NCJ Number
191488
Date Published
December 2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses issues in crime prevention based on the findings of the International Crime Victim Survey.
Abstract
The ICVS has found three main types of crime-prevention measures are commonly used to protect households from burglary: behaviors adopted by the household members in order to prevent crimes, physical devices used to make the access of unauthorized persons to the residence more difficult, and the establishment of community-based initiatives that involve other parties in crime prevention. Between 1992 and 1996, the use or installation of burglar alarms increased in most countries in Western Europe, the New World, and countries in transition. Neighborhood Watch schemes were found to be popular in the New World, Asia, and Western Europe, but much less so in other regions. The highest firearms ownership rates were found in the New World and Western Europe, followed by Latin America and countries in transition; however, the reasons for gun ownership varied from country to country. Not all the firearms were meant to be used for crime prevention purposes. The principle of sharing crime prevention responsibilities with the community has been widely accepted, and many governments place crime prevention programs that involve citizens, law enforcement, and all relevant components of society among the highest national priorities. The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime has identified three main areas for effective crime prevention: increasing formal and informal crime prevention measures; preventing offending and re-offending by targeting groups at risk and providing them with education and recreation opportunities, as well as housing and employment; and specific target-hardening through a broader use of individual and household precautionary measures.