Classifying Neighbourhoods for Reassurance Policing

Authors: Williamson, Tom; Ashby, David; Webber, Richard

Source: Policing and Society, Volume 16, Number 2, June 2006 , pp. 189-218(30)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

High rates of reported crime and levels of fear of crime have emerged as characteristics of late modern societies. Changes in society as a result of globalization and new technologies are said to have contributed to a “risk society” in which crime is one of a number of risks that the public expect will be managed effectively. The perception that the risk of victimization is growing undermines confidence in the effectiveness of the state. The reassurance/perception gap has thus long concerned central government. However, geographical variations in this trend are poorly understood. The analysis of the risk of victimization in different types of neighbourhood shows that the experience of crime varies significantly depending on where people live. Some communities are more crime prone than others and this has important consequences for how the risks of victimization are communicated and for the selection of policing styles that will be most effective. Furthermore, aspects of anti-social behaviour that most concern local residents vary significantly between different types of neighbourhood, as do their differing abilities to respond effectively. This paper demonstrates ways in which geodemographic classification systems are likely to be predictive of the level of social (dis)organization, social capital and collective efficacy. Profiling neighbourhoods, their risk of victimization, local perceptions of crime and the degree of collective efficacy could prove essential to strategies for providing public reassurance and for customizing crime reduction services to better meet local needs.

Keywords: Neighbourhood; Geodemographic Profiling; Social Capital; Collective Efficacy; Customizing Crime Reduction Services

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10439460600662197

Publication date: 2006-06-01

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