What is Crime Prevention?

Crime prevention is the act of stopping a crime before it happens. Before you can stop a crime you must be aware of it. That means knowing the who, what, when, where, why and how of crime. But awareness, unless converted into action, can only lead to fear.

How Crime Works

Desire + Opportunity = Crime

"Without the desire and an opportunity, there can be no crime."

Some Basics About Crime

A lot of people make the mistake of talking about crime as if all crimes were the same. The fact is different crimes have different characteristics. Each type of crime has its own type of criminal and its own type of victim. Any efforts to prevent a particular crime must keep those characteristics in mind. But the most important thing to remember when planning a program is this: Some crimes are more preventable than others.

Property crimes occur much more frequently than crimes against a person.
Property crimes are much more difficult to solve than crimes against a person.
Property crimes are much easier to prevent than crimes against a person.
Property crimes committed by professionals occur more frequently in affluent neighborhoods than in poorer ones.

Crimes against a person occur more often in poorer neighborhoods than in affluent ones.

Criminals tend to commit crimes against persons of the same race and/or ethnicity as themselves.

Help is just a phone call away
Minimize Loss, Maximize Safety

Participating in Neighborhood watch programs, education and involvement can help reduce your chances of becoming a victim, but even the most well educated person can become the victim of a crime.
Follow these steps to minimize your loses and maximize your safety:

• Voluntarily surrender your money and property. Material items can be replaced, your life cannot be.
• Do not argue or attempt to put up a struggle.
• Remain calm and alert and try to remember as many details of the crime to report to law enforcement.
• Sit down to avoid being knocked down.

Efficiently and Effectively Reporting Crime

The more information you can provide when reporting a crime, the better the chances of the crime being solved. Give law enforcement the following information (If possible):

• Your name, address and telephone number
• Type of crime (Burglary, assault, suspicious person or vehicle)
• Explain if the crime is in progress.
• Location of the crime; be specific
• Description of the suspect(s)
• Vehicle description
• Direction of travel.