Routine activities, a theory developed by Cohen and Felson (1979) (Brown et al., 2001), maintains that crime occurs when there is a convergence in time and space of three minimal elements: 1) a motivated offender, 2) a suitable target and 3) the absence of a capable guardian. Routine activities can be defined as those everyday activities that are part of people’s life, eg, recreation and formal occupation.
According to routine activities, for a crime to occur, a motivated offender must find a suitable target in the absence of a capable guardian. It is when these three factors collide that a crime is likely to be committed.
* Motivated offenders - their presence is taken as a given fact in that, in any society there will always be someone criminally predisposed and willing to seize opportunities to commit crime.
* Guardian can be anybody whose presence or proximity to the target would discourage a crime from happening. The mere presence or proximity of a person(s), eg, a co-worker, public, police or security, can be a powerful deterrent in crime. Guardianship can also involve physical and electronic security measures, which can deter crime and limit access to targets. When these guardians are absent, a target or victim are at risk of criminal attack.
* Suitable target means that criminal choice is influenced by the perception of target vulnerability. The more suitable and accessible the target, the more likely that crime will occur.
Four main elements influence a target's risk for criminal attack (Felson & Clarke, 1988):
* Value, meaning that the target or victim's possession must be financially rewarding.
* Inertia, meaning that the items, which are the target of the criminal attack, must be easy to carry away.
* Visibility, which refers to the exposure of targets to offenders.
* Access involves all those environmental and situational features which make it easier for offenders to get to the target.
The above principles are all evident in the following practical example.
A criminal (motivated offender) is assessing the possibility of committing a robbery against a jewellery store situated on a suburban street, close to a highway ramp (suitable target). He is attracted by the following factors: a) very valuable items of jewellery and watches are displayed near the exit (suitable target); b) there is only a member of staff inside the store; no customers, police or security are present (absence of capable guardians). The criminal then proceeds to rob the store and easily succeeds in doing so. During his assessment of the situation, as well as of the associated risks and benefits, the robber paid special attention to the following:
* The targeted items were identified as being high value items, wanted by receivers of stolen property or 'fences' (value).
* The targeted items, ie, jewellery, were all very easy to carry and hide away (inertia).
* The targeted items were highly visible from outside the store (visibility).
* The targeted items were all displayed near the entry/exit and therefore easily accessible (access).
Conclusion
It is clear that certain activities such as dealing with cash or expensive merchandise, or working late at night, expose individuals to an above average risk of criminal victimisation and make them more vulnerable to predatory crimes such as theft and robbery. In such a case the absence of capable guardians, including adequate security measures, is likely to act as a precipitating factor resulting in the commission of a criminal act. Hence the importance of providing vulnerable targets with suitable crime preventative measures.
For more information contact Elio Zannoni, International Threat Analysis, 011 792 3739, [email protected]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elio Zannoni is a criminologist and specialist in crime risk factors and prevention strategies. He can be contacted at International Threat Analysis, a specialist, international risk consultancy involved in the intelligence and analysis of crime threats and risks worldwide on 011 792 3739, fax: 011 791 6352, [email protected]
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