When examining the causes of criminal activity, many theorists devote their attention to the offenders themselves, and what it is that may motivate them to commit crime. However, even if offenders are motivated to commit crimes, they can only do so if the opportunity to commit the crime is available to them. Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson developed routine activity theory (RAT) to explain how criminal opportunities vary according to time and place (Drawve, Thomas & Walker, 2014). Therefore, a decrease in the number of opportunities to commit crime would cause the number of crimes committed to decrease as well. RAT proposes that crime is influenced by the opportunities that arise throughout normal daily activities.
Felson and Cohen argued …show more content…
Instead of trying to change the offender, SCP attempts to manipulate situational factors that may reduce the likelihood of a crime occurring (Drawve et al., 2014). This involves the use of practical deterrents that make potential targets less attractive for criminals. Examples of these deterrents include the installation of security alarms in houses and business as well as enhancing the amount of lighting in darkened areas, which can also be viewed as guardians in regards to RAT. By increasing the risks of an offender being caught, SCP argues that it is more critical to alter aspects of situations rather than focus on the individual offender and their behavior when attempting to decrease crime rates (Farrell, …show more content…
The police forces had conducted a list of known members of organized crime groups (OCG) in their jurisdiction and then implemented various intervention methods. In order to increase the effort and risks of committing a crime, the police force increased their visibility in areas surrounding members ' residences, increased traffic sanctions, increased surveillance for businesses where thefts had been prominent, and increased the community 's awareness of OCG members (Stuart & Nailer, 2013). Increasing the awareness in the community made residents more cautious throughout their normal routines and made them more likely to recognize and report suspicious activity. The effects of the interventions were evaluated by comparing criminal conviction data following the implementation of the interventions with data prior to the implementation. The results revealed a decline in conviction rates since the implementation of the interventions, supporting the notion that SCP was successful in reducing criminal activity as the increased the amount of guardianship made the targets less
Felson and Cohen argued …show more content…
Instead of trying to change the offender, SCP attempts to manipulate situational factors that may reduce the likelihood of a crime occurring (Drawve et al., 2014). This involves the use of practical deterrents that make potential targets less attractive for criminals. Examples of these deterrents include the installation of security alarms in houses and business as well as enhancing the amount of lighting in darkened areas, which can also be viewed as guardians in regards to RAT. By increasing the risks of an offender being caught, SCP argues that it is more critical to alter aspects of situations rather than focus on the individual offender and their behavior when attempting to decrease crime rates (Farrell, …show more content…
The police forces had conducted a list of known members of organized crime groups (OCG) in their jurisdiction and then implemented various intervention methods. In order to increase the effort and risks of committing a crime, the police force increased their visibility in areas surrounding members ' residences, increased traffic sanctions, increased surveillance for businesses where thefts had been prominent, and increased the community 's awareness of OCG members (Stuart & Nailer, 2013). Increasing the awareness in the community made residents more cautious throughout their normal routines and made them more likely to recognize and report suspicious activity. The effects of the interventions were evaluated by comparing criminal conviction data following the implementation of the interventions with data prior to the implementation. The results revealed a decline in conviction rates since the implementation of the interventions, supporting the notion that SCP was successful in reducing criminal activity as the increased the amount of guardianship made the targets less