Houston, Texas is a lively urban city with industrious residents who desire a secured and crime free metropolis. Though Houston is not without a crime problem, like many metropolitan cities, therefore, the avoidance or reduction of crime in this metropolis is necessitated and involves the dynamic support of all residents of the community in conjunction with the state Police Department.
Furthermore, the Police Department of Houston is working vigorously and communally with the public in preventing crime in the city by enforcing the law in ensuring the observance of laws and rules in the maintenance of the general security of public places in unaltered condition, and providing a protected environment.
Inclusively, the Police Department in Houston, Texas wants 24 hours safety and comfort of all residents. Although, it is noteworthy, that with the Police Departments initiatives in curbing and preventing crime in the city, with the communal effort of the citizens, crime rate will be reduced since all citizens have a role to play in the prevention of crime. Moreover, crime prevention is the citizen’s expectation, acknowledgement, and evaluation of the danger in crime with the initiative embarked on for the lessening or eradication of the rate of crime in the city.
However, in preventing crime all methods implemented must be aimed at breaking the triangle of crime which is: victim, felon and chance, but with the communal effort of the citizens.
Citizen’s role in crime prevention
By promising and carrying out necessary crime prevention procedures, residents will help in minimizing the rate of crime in the society, because crime prevention starts with each person, family, and home.
Crime prevention or reduction initiatives
Another initiative of preventing or eradicating crime is by mapping, identifying and policing crime hot spots (Weisburd, Stephen, & Greenspan, 2001). In the initiative, the introduction of monitoring patrols, proactive apprehension, and public alert policing, will create considerable increase in crime prevention (Eck, 1997, 2002; Braga, 2002; Weisburd and Eck, 2004). This policing initiative will also assist the department of police and security agents in reducing and precluding crime in hot spot zones.
According to Bittner (1970) experienced police officers, know and instantly identifies major hotspots and the usual normality in them.
Stepped up level of patrol, proactive apprehension and investigation of known and suspected criminals combined with the residents alert will greatly diminish criminal activities within hotspots. Due to the complexity of hot spot policing, the introduction of new innovations which will identify known criminals, such as computerized mapping and database technology that detects criminal activity and zones could be put in place to curb crime farther (Weisburd and Braga, 2006).
In the recent past, investigations have led to the recognition that crime is not proportionally spread but it clusters within the city district marked by poverty and inferior living conditions (Pierce, Spaar & LeBaron, 1988; Sherman, Gartin, and Buerger, 1989; (Weisburd, Maher, & Sherman 1992).
Policing in such areas must be dynamic and unique by introducing door to door database policing technology into the system and furthermore involving reliable resident policing.
In conclusion, it is not an easy task to assess the long-term initiative in reduction or prevention of criminal activity. Considering these difficulties, evaluation on this subject will be based on three aspects: (1) the crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants; (2) the scope and nature of, and the resources allocated for the crime prevention initiatives; and (3) the resident responses.
Reference list
Bittner, E. (1970). The Functions of the Police in Modern Society. New York: Aronson.
Braga, A. A. (2002). Problem-Oriented Policing and Crime Prevention. Monsey, New York, NY: Criminal Justice Press.
Eck, J. (1997). “Preventing Crime at Places,” in Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising, ed. University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Washington, D.C.: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
Eck, J. (2002). “Preventing Crime at Places,” in Evidence-Based Crime Prevention, ed. Lawrence Sherman, David Farrington, Brandon Welsh, and Doris Layton MacKenzie. New York, NY: Routledge.
Pierce, G., Spaar, S., and LeBaron B. (1988). The Character of Police Work: Strategic and Tactical Implications. Boston: Center for Applied Social Research, Northeastern University.
Sherman, L., Gartin, P., and Buerger, M. (1989). “Hot Spots of Predatory Crime: Routine Activities and the Criminology of Place,” Criminology 27: 27–56.
Weisburd, D. L. and Braga, A. A. (2006). “Hot Spots Policing as a Model for Police Innovation,” in Police Innovation: Contrasting Perspectives, ed. David L. Weisburd and Anthony A. Braga. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Weisburd, D., and Eck, J. (2004): “What Can Police Do to Reduce Crime, Disorder, and Fear?” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 593, 42–65.
Weisburd, D., Maher, L., and Sherman, L. (1992). “Contrasting Crime General and Crime Specific Theory: The Case of Hot Spots of Crime.” Advances in Criminological Theory, Volume 4. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Press.
Weisburd, D., Stephen M., and Greenspan, R. (2001). Compstat and Organizational Change. Washington, D.C.: Police Foundation.