The Crime Prevention Triangle

Elements Needed For a Crime – ACT Security Group

Building on previous blog posts, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how Crime is an indicator of regressive cultural traits that hinder the achievement of SDGs, we now segue into a theory that looks at the three elements of crime, the crime prevention triangle as shown above, that could be further reviewed in the below link. 

The Crime Prevention Triangle – Criminal Justice Know How

Further to same, a simplified breakdown of the Crime Prevention Triangle is defined below:

Desire

This is the desire to commit a crime. 

The Opportunity 

The opportunity being available to commit a crime. 

The Ability 

The ability (through experience/training/tools/guidance) to commit a crime.

The theory goes on to state that without one of the three elements (Desire/Opportunity/Ability) then a crime cannot occur. 

Crime Prevention 

Crime prevention therefore should focus on an in-depth understanding of the three aforementioned elements, a comprehensive review of resources and abilities available to counter crime and then the application and implementation strategies to leverage resources to counter subfactors of the three elements with the aim of totally removing one or more sides of the triangle, not in a way to simply reduce crime rates, which will not actualize SDGs (because it will not actively change behaviors), but using resources to change cultural attitudes, thus moving the nation towards a progressive prone attitude, whereby SDGs can be achieved. 

Reducing crime is not a simple exercise of stopping/prosecuting crime, but in fact an act to remove from your society the cultural behaviors and attitudes that lead to crime. Crime can only be affected in a meaningful way indirectly. 

From the time a society tries to reduce crime for reduction's sake, then that society is lost! Reduce instead, what makes crimes occur........ selfishness, greed, indifference, feelings of marginalization, subjugation, lack of hope.