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Upper Makefield Township

BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

www.upper-makefield.com

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Crime Prevention

WHOSE DUTY? WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?

THE PREVENTION OF CRIME IS AN HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL DUTY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRACING BACK TO ITS EARLY ORIGINS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN ENGLAND FROM WHICH MOST OF OUR BASIC LAW DERIVES. THE ACTUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE COMMON CRIMES MOST RESTS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY.

TODAY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE COMMUNITY RESUME ITS HISTORIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREVENTION OF COMMON STREET CRIMES, LEAVING THE FULL-TIME LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL FREE TO PURSUE THE REDUCTION OF THE MORE DIFFICULT AND SOPHISTICATED CRIMES OF THE PROFESSIONAL CRIMINAL OR THE SERIOUS HABITUAL OFFENDER.

A RECENT SURVEY REVEALED THAT:

Most people believe that crime is inevitable.

Most people believe that nothing can be done.

Most people believe that crime is a police problem.

Most people believe that crime is not their problem.

POLICE ACTION

Crime prevention is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of action to remove or reduce that crime risk.

COMMUNITY ACTION

Crime prevention is using instinct, common sense, and actions to eliminate or greatly reduce the criminal's opportunity. A large share of the responsibility of reducing criminal opportunity lies with you! That is not to say that if you are a victim of crime it is your fault and the fault of the criminal.....certainly not! But the fact remains that we all have a personal part to play regarding crime prevention.