left realism crime prevention

• Left realist


  LEA and YOUNG
• Left realist


  • Rooted in marxism but criticise their 'left idealism'
  • They identify number of causes of crime:
• Causes of crime


  • Relative Deprivation
  • Marginalisation
  • Subcultures
• Intervention


  Identifying groups at risk of committing crime and take action to limit offending
• Perry pre school project

  • For disadvantaged black children in Michigan, USA
  • Offered a two year intellectual program and received two weekly home visits
  • By age 40 they had significantly lower arrests and a higher percentage had graduated high school and made it into full time employment
  • For every dollar spent on the programme, $17 saved on welfare, prison and other costs
• Community-based solutions


  • Improving leisure facilities for young
  • Reducing income inequalities
  • Improving housing estates
  • Raising living standards of poorer families
  • Reducing unemployment
  • Creating jobs with prospects
• Decreasing inequality


  Increases feelings of community
• Improving policing


  • 90% of crimes are cleared up by police as a result of public information
  • Research found that public confidence in police has declined
  • There won't be flow of info that police rely on if public confidence declines
• Changes in policing policy

  • Police policy needs to be centred on creating and maintaining good communication between police and local community
  • Police need public - 1.public report most crime 2. Provide evidence
  • Public should have democratically elected police authorities
  • Create consensus policing- police act on communities instruction not in isolation
  • Certain areas of crime are over policed eg. underage drinking vs other that are under policed eg. racial assault
  • Police need to get their priorities right and address under policed areas