Crime Reduction and Prevention Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Crime Reduction and Prevention Proposal - Essay Example Most affected by crimes in the City are the poor neighborhoods where fear and mistrust are at their peaks and the social bond among residents severely vulnerable. The main reasons for the high crime prevalence in such neighborhoods are the flourishing opportunities for crimes such as illegal drug and arms trade and possession, violence, and gun markets. If left unchecked and unchallenged, the souring crime levels may result in neighborhood or community neglect and disintegration. In addition, there would be little if any incentives for the citizens to invest both socially and economically in the neighborhoods marred with incidents of crimes and other disorder problems. To challenge this negative cycle caused by crimes and disorder problems in the City, there is need for all the stakeholders to formulate, implement, evaluate, and reform various crime prevention strategies that would ensure a safe and secure environment in the City for both its citizens and visitors (United Nations, 20 02). This paper explores some of the effective policies that may be established by the security stakeholders in the City of New York to assist crime victims, prevent crimes, and achieve effective justice for all. In addition, the paper addresses the effects that criminological theory and research have had on contemporary and historical crime control policies in New York City. Criminology Theories and their Influence Various theories proposed by scholars and other stakeholders in the subject of criminology have been rather important in the fight against crimes in New York City. Among the theories of criminology that have contributed to the fight against crime in New York City is the ‘Broken Window’ theory. According to this theory, the smallest or least noticeable evidences of crimes should never be ignored. In New York City, minor indications of neglect and disintegration of life in the City’s neighborhoods such as abandoned cars and buildings, littered streets, and prostitution have been accorded the right attention by the law enforcement agencies as they are the precursors of more serious crimes such as gang activity, drug dealing, and violent crimes among others. To this effect, a ‘zero tolerance’ approach based on the ‘broken window’ theory has been implemented by different law enforcement agencies and personnel in New York City. The theory further postulates that the fear of crime inherent in the City’s neighborhoods and other related crime factors, which play numerous roles in creating crimes in the City should not be ignored by the authorities. Besides endeavoring to avail equal economic opportunities for all in the City, the City of New York authorities do not spare any efforts in seeking to strengthen the social bonds that hold the diverse residents of the City. In other terms, any efforts to make the neighborhood of the City safer and more secure have incorporated other development activities, whic h create and attract jobs and avail affordable services to the populace. Importantly, all the crime prevention projects in the City have been based on sound scientific evidences. Evidence based Crime Prevention One of the benefits of the various criminology theories to the fight against crime in the City of New York has been in the formulation and implementation of evidence-based approaches to crime prevention. Important in such approaches is the emphasis laid on the need for crime prevention policies in the City. These crime prevention