NCJ Number
81415
Journal
Battelle Today Issue: 26 Dated: (January 1982) Pages: 3-6
Date Published
1982
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Various approaches for countering and preventing property crime are discussed, with particular attention to the relevant basic and applied research of the Battelle Law and Justice Study Center.
Abstract
Widespread dissatisfaction with the typical law enforcement case-by-case approach to dealing with theft has resulted in a series of innovations in theft prevention and control. These have included (1) target-hardening strategies, which consist of techniques for upgrading the physical security of buildings; (2) marketplace approaches, which focus on the marketing or 'fencing' of stolen goods, so that various property items for which there is a market in stolen goods can receive special protection; (3) theft-assessment approaches, which undertake to identify the incentives, circumstances, and methods associated with theft so as to reduce the attraction and opportunity for theft by decreasing victim vulnerability; and (4) the use of computers to assist theft investigations. The Battelle Law and Justice Study Center has undertaken a number of exploratory research efforts to increase knowledge of property crime problems. These efforts have included examination of white-collar crime, challenges to nuclear safeguards, and the investigation of marketplaces for stolen goods. The Center's research efforts have resulted in practical manuals and technical handbooks.