Crime prevention is the process of trying to reduce the amount of crime in a given area. It might involve increasing the amount of security in certain places or trying to improve impoverished neighborhoods. Educating citizens could also be a part of this initiative. Trying to get the public involved in observing the happenings and reporting them to police is typically another aspect of crime prevention.
Some jurisdictions feel that adding more police officers to a particular area can aid in public safety. This is because criminals may not feel comfortable committing crimes if they are afraid they might get caught. Having security officers patrol businesses, apartment complexes, and city parks is generally another form of crime prevention.
Many people feel that the condition of a particular neighborhood plays a part in the amount of crime committed there. For this reason, there are many groups that work to fix up buildings in areas that may have previously been neglected. This could involve making repairs to buildings, cutting down weeds, and cleaning up trash. It might also include making improvements to streets and sidewalks as well as adding curbside lighting. Painting or removing graffiti from public buildings is often also done to clean up the area.
Education can be another element of crime prevention. Many times, those who drop out of school can easily be persuaded to join gangs or abuse drugs. Convincing youth to remain in school and receive an education could eliminate this vulnerability and consequently reduce the possibility of young people going to jail in the future.
Another way that education works as a tool for crime prevention is by trying to prevent certain behaviors in the first place. This could be drinking and driving for example. A special interest group may run an ad campaign on radio, television, or billboards in order to attempt to stop people from performing criminal acts.
Neighborhood watch groups are also a form of crime prevention. This is because they often serve to prevent burglaries in their own neighborhoods. They can also alert police to an incident that is underway so that there might be a better chance the perpetrator can be arrested.
Criminal activity affects people mentally, economically, physically, and socially. This can mean that preventing the occurrence of crime can benefit society by reducing the number of victims as well as the amount of assistance people need. These factors make crime prevention a good idea whether in a rural or urban environment.