NCJ Number
206408
Date Published
July 2004
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This guide addresses tourist crime and how law enforcement can reduce the harm and improve the overall response to tourist incidents.
Abstract
Problem-Specific Guides produced by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services summarizes knowledge about how police can reduce harm caused by specific crime and disorder problems. This guide addresses tourist crimes committed in the United States. It describes the problem and reviews the factors that contribute to it. It identifies a series of questions to assist officers in analyzing a local problem. It provides a number of measures a law enforcement agency can take to address the problem and evaluate responses. The guide is divided into three main sections. The first addresses the problem of crimes against tourists and includes: related problems, such a prostitution, pickpocketing, fencing of stolen property, burglary of holiday homes, and terrorism against tourists; factors contributing to crimes against tourists; and tourists as offenders. The second section entails combining the basic facts with a more specific understanding of the agency’s local problem. Analyzing the local problem assists in the design of a more effective response. In analyzing the problem, there is a need to ask the right questions regarding incidents, locations/times, victims, offenders, and current responses, as well as establish a baseline for measuring effectiveness. The final section addresses potential responses to the problem which is two-fold and includes general considerations for an effective strategy and specific responses to reduce crimes against tourists. Appendix and references