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Preventing Crime at Places: The Importance of Recognizing That Places Exist Within a Broader Social Context

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  • Tarah Hodgkinson
  • Martin A. Andresen

Abstract

Reducing crime opportunities at places is a successful strategy to reduce actual crime. This conceptual article examines how reducing crime at places is also an opportunity to have greater social impact and improve social justice, particularly when crime displacement may occur, through the recognition that no place exists in a vacuum. We discuss opportunity reduction in its traditional form, but also in a broader context that considers a fuller extent of crime prevention that more closely resembles its original formulation in the field of environmental criminology. We interrogate our traditional opportunity-reduction theories, identifying some of their limitations and noting that theoretical integration is not only conceptually possible, but empirically shown to matter. This is followed by a discussion of theoretical integration and its importance for crime prevention. We close our discussion outlining a crime prevention model, SafeGrowth, that considers both place-based strategies and community approaches.

Suggested Citation

  • Tarah Hodgkinson & Martin A. Andresen, 2024. "Preventing Crime at Places: The Importance of Recognizing That Places Exist Within a Broader Social Context," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 714(1), pages 134-149, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:714:y:2024:i:1:p:134-149
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162251345666
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brandon C. Welsh & David P. Farrington, 2008. "Effects of Improved Street Lighting on Crime," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(1), pages 1-51.
    2. Anthony A. Braga & Martin A. Andresen & Brian Lawton, 2017. "The Law of Crime Concentration at Places: Editors’ Introduction," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 421-426, September.
    3. Aaron Chalfin & Benjamin Hansen & Jason Lerner & Lucie Parker, 2022. "Reducing Crime Through Environmental Design: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment of Street Lighting in New York City," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 127-157, March.
    4. Hodgkinson, Tarah & Andresen, Martin A. & Farrell, Graham, 2016. "The decline and locational shift of automotive theft: A local level analysis," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 49-57.
    5. Marie Skubak Tillyer & Pamela Wilcox & Rebecca J. Walter, 2021. "Crime Generators in Context: Examining ‘Place in Neighborhood’ Propositions," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 517-546, June.
    6. Andrea S. N. Curman & Martin A. Andresen & Paul J. Brantingham, 2015. "Crime and Place: A Longitudinal Examination of Street Segment Patterns in Vancouver, BC," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 127-147, March.
    7. David Weisburd & Nancy A. Morris & Elizabeth R. Groff, 2009. "Hot Spots of Juvenile Crime: A Longitudinal Study of Arrest Incidents at Street Segments in Seattle, Washington," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 443-467, December.
    8. Andrew P. Wheeler & Robert E. Worden & Sarah J. McLean, 2016. "Replicating Group-Based Trajectory Models of Crime at Micro-Places in Albany, NY," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 589-612, December.
    9. Roderick W. Jones & William Alex Pridemore, 2019. "Toward an Integrated Multilevel Theory of Crime at Place: Routine Activities, Social Disorganization, and The Law of Crime Concentration," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 543-572, September.
    10. Elizabeth R. Groff & David Weisburd & Sue-Ming Yang, 2010. "Is it Important to Examine Crime Trends at a Local “Micro” Level?: A Longitudinal Analysis of Street to Street Variability in Crime Trajectories," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 7-32, March.
    11. Hodgkinson, Tarah & Andresen, Martin A., 2019. "Changing spatial patterns of residential burglary and the crime drop: The need for spatial data signatures," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 90-100.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nancy La Vigne & Tamara D. Herold, 2024. "Advancing Crime Prevention and Social Justice: The National Institute of Justice’s Priorities and Investments," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 714(1), pages 226-234, July.
    2. Brian A. O’Hara & Austin Rice, 2024. "Reimagining Policing in Minneapolis: Balancing Crime Prevention and Social Justice," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 714(1), pages 235-244, July.

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