Crime Prevention Programs

The major elements that makes crime prevention programs effective:
1. Continued commitment from those involved
2. Believing that it will work
3. The program needs to be designed with the purpose of reducing the opportunities for a crime to be committed
4. Learning what needs to be done to harden the target for the criminal
Two crime prevention programs I was involved in were Neighborhood Watch and CPTED, which we used many times. The Neighborhood Watch program proved to be effective in a number of incidents because people learned what was normal in their blocks by getting to know their neighbors, their children, their vehicles, and what times they were home. The result was they would call the police when they observed something out of place. There were cases where a child predator was stopped and apprehended, individuals who were contacted as the result of a call to the police after seeing someone walking down the block with a back pack acting suspicious. When the person was contacted burglary tools were found and items from a recent burglary recovered. Around schools was started a parent watch program that parents would take turns standing on the four corners of the school with hand held radios to prevent child predators even entering the area. The CPTED program, which I was certified in, was an excellent tool in assisting homeowners and business with the five steps outlined in the textbook. Giving suggestion’s that will make the structure harder to enter, this involved putting fences around the property. The fences we would suggest would be those that do not block sight from the street. Some fences provided the offender the cover they needed not to be seen; chain link fences, wrought iron fences, or split rails. Some residences and businesses removed trees and shrubberies that obstructed the view of the structure where criminals can hide. After learning it could prevent crime. Audible alarms over silent alarms were suggested because the noise at the scene will cause suspect to run. Motion lights are a deterrent and having a motion sensor outside that turns a light on inside or attached to a radio giving the appearance some is home. Dogs are a good deterrent but if who do not want a dog we would advise placing a dog bowl with a big chain in the back yard with a beware of the dog sign. All of these things and more do work the biggest success is involvement. Crime prevention programs really do prevent crimes and will continue to do so if taken seriously. As Christians we should be looking out for those who are vulnerable, especially the elderly and handicapped that we know or should know in our neighborhoods.