NCJ Number
60790
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE COOPERATION BETWEEN BUILDERS, POLICE, AND SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE INTEREST OF CRIME PREVENTION IN WEST GERMANY IS SUGGESTED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH A DIRECT CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND CRIME REMAINS DOUBTFUL, PARTICULAR URBAN STRUCTURES AND ENVIRONMENTS (E.G. UNDERGROUND GARAGES) APPEAR TO ENCOURAGE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, TWO SOLUTIONS ARE SUGGESTED. FIRST, SINCE MODIFICATION OF ALREADY EXISTING BUILDINGS IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING, THE POLICE SHOULD FOCUS ON FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. IN PARTICULAR, CRIMINOLOGICAL EXPERTS AND THE POLICE SHOULD TAKE PART IN THE PLANNING OF NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENTS AND BE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO ADVISE BUILDERS AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE ISSUING OF BUILDING PERMITS. SECOND, AN INCREASED NUMBER OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN PROBLEM AREAS WOULD CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHICH IS LESS CONDUCIVE TO CRIME. FOR EXAMPLE, SOCIAL WORKERS COULD ADVISE LANDLORDS ON THE SELECTION OF LOW-INCOME TENANTS SINCE THE COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF THE ENTIRE AREA. IN ADDITION, SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD ASSIST IN INDIVIDUAL CRISES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ENCOURAGING THE POPULATION TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS (E.G. VOLUNTEER SURVEILLANCE OF PLAYGROUNDS). FOR THE 5 MILLION GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED APARTMENTS IN WEST GERMANY, APPROXIMATELY 6,000 SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD BE REQUIRED (I.E., ONE FOR EACH 800 APARTMENTS). AN ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENT THAT OWNERS OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING EMPLOY SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF PROBLEM AREAS AND WOULD PROVIDE NUMEROUS MEANINGFUL, CHALLENGING JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)