Article Review Example: Proactive Community Policing

In the recent times, different communities have adopted dynamic techniques to police their societies. As such, a new approach commonly referred to as community-oriented policing is widely gaining momentum, especially in the United States. The proactive community policing is a strategy that demands police officers to work hand in hand with locals of the communities, so that together they can help mitigate crime rates in the neighborhoods and restore public safety. The main idea behind the push is to enable patrol officers to blend with the citizens, in order to establish a rapport and in turn, encourage the individuals to participate in addressing the concerns in that particular area. Hence, in light of the subject matter, this paper will entail a review of a criminal justice article authored by Paul Cozens and Terence Love, stating the focus of the research, the findings of the study, and the applications of the study to the real-world phenomena.

Research Focus

The article mainly shifts its attention to exploring the notion of crime prevention through environmental design to understand and design practical ways to help alleviate crimes in the society by analyzing different scholarly materials on the subject matter. Cozens and Love (2015), revisit the history and growth of crime prevention through environmental strategy to show the contributions of the approach to solving crimes. Additionally, the editorial focuses on establishing factors and regions that could be potential elements that boost crimes in various neighborhoods. The article also offers workable solutions which emanate from a close analyzing and assessment of the data collected from the studied neighborhood by various researchers.

Research Findings

The study reveals a particular relationship between people and the environment, in that the setting of a certain region can significantly influence the crime rates in that part. For instance, the research findings suggest that neighborhoods that have their buildings closely built up and in a congested manner, or places with poor fencing are some of the factors that heighten crimes significantly. According to Cozens and Love (2015), they state that, This natural surveillance is considered as a form of capable guardianship that can reduce crime since offenders who perceive that they can be observed (even if they are not), are less likely to offend, in the light of the increased potential for intervention, apprehension, and prosecution (p.4). That is, congestion is often accompanied by poor lighting and as such, it becomes an attraction factor to the perpetrators due to the low visibility in the regions. Secondly, the study establishes that natural surveillance is an essential factor in the prevention of crime. Another discovery is that communities that express social cohesion experience low crime rates because the individuals coexist with mutual respect and appreciate cultural diversity. On the other hand, the article reveals that community policing approach could be abused and used to enhance criminal activities in the society, primarily by drug dealers. Nevertheless, Sohn (2016), believes that there is need to come up with more efficient solutions to help curb crimes in the society.

Research Applications

The findings of the research can be broadly used in various ways to help diminish criminal operations in the society. For example, communities should reinforce good lighting by putting up street lights extensively in their residential areas and properties. Additionally, motion sensor lights should be adopted, so that one can be able to detect a person with ill-intent. It is also wise for individuals to have proper fencing and install windows that offer a clear wide view. Moreover, people should be encouraged to form group programs and foundations that boost the welfare of the community. Therefore, communities should adopt the scanning and assessment technique, so as to prevent crimes from occurring, by learning the causes and apply the most effective solutions.

References

Cozens, P., & Love, T. (2015). A review and current status of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Journal of Planning Literature, 0885412215595440.

Sohn, D. W. (2016). Residential crimes and neighborhood built environment: Assessing the effectiveness of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Cities, 52, 86- 93.