Zero Tolerance and Focused Deterrence Strategies, Essay Example

Zero Tolerance policing and other programs aimed at reducing gang involvement and gun availability have become quite popular with some groups.  POP, or problem oriented policing, involves crime-specific prevention, or the creation of frameworks to more effectively prevent crimes by assessing them on a case by case basis.  This is how these programs are similar to POP and different from POP.

These focused deterrence strategies have been heralded as an effective approach to controlling crime.  The elements of this police strategy include an analytical approach with various measures of higher or lower degrees can be implemented beside the framework of social and political actions that can be taken.  This includes not only the application of research to particular crimes, but also involves the application of information to behavior patterns, as well as the targeting of specific groups based on the crime and also the implementation of social workers in order to help prevent future involvement.

These are the types of people, places or crimes that have been the focuses of deterrence strategies.  Youth homicides were effectively targeted by these types of programs.  By allowing for the education of individuals concerning issues specific to the particular crime, law enforcement and social work agencies were able to lower the amount of crime in certain areas.   However, simply because these policies are effective in one area, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be in all areas.

Evidence from the field suggests positive outcomes on the effectiveness of these strategies. Both Boston and L.A. were high crime areas where these strategies were applied.  In L.A., specifically the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Hollenbeck.  By analyzing crime rates, researchers were able to isolate this particular area as a hotspot for crime.  In this way, they were able to better implement their prevention strategies for a smaller area, increasing the effectiveness of the strategy.

References

Anthony Braga and David Weisburd (2012) “The effects of “Pulling Levers” Focused Deterrence Strategies on Crime”, The Campbell Collaboration.

Judith A. Greene (1999) “Zero Tolerance: A Case Study of Police Policies and Practices in New York City.” Crime and Delinquency 45(2): 171-187

Kelling, George L., William J. Bratton, and Judith A. Greene. “Should Zero Tolerance/Broken Windows Policing Be Encouraged?” Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Crime and Criminology 6th Edition Chapter 16, 2000. pp. 306-328

Ratcliffe, Jerry, Taniguchi, Travis, Groff, Elizabeth and Wood, Jennifer (2011) “The Philadelphia, Foot Patrol Experiment: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Police Patrol Effectiveness in Violent Crime Places”, Criminology, 49(3) 795-832