Crime Prevention Evaluation Proposal

Chapter I

Problem and its Background

"The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interest of the community welfare and existence".

Robert Peel (2006)

Introduction

Crime is an intentional commission of an act usually deemed socially harmful or dangerous and specifically defined, prohibited, and punishable under criminal law. According to a generally accepted principle, nullum crimen sine lege, there can be no crime without a law. A crime generally consists of both conduct (the actus reus) and a concurrent state of mind (the mens rea).

Crime can have negative effects on community morale as well as business growth and development. Fear of being victimized by crime affects purchasing habits, community involvement and tourism. Preventing crime is the responsibility of those who seek a safe, peaceful environment. Learning effective ways to deter crime is the first step to securing and maintaining low crime rates.

San Jose is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2007 census the population increased to 118,807 people and considered the main commercial port in the province. It is named after its patron saint, St. Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Despite some improvement in the municipality and law and order, crime remained a major problem. According to the PNP, Occidental Mindoro has the highest number of crime-prone villages in the Mimaropa region, closely followed by Oriental Mindoro and Palawan. Marinduque and Romblon, meanwhile, have no crime-prone areas. Occidental has four villages with the most number of reported crimes—San Roque and Pag-asa in San Jose town and Barangay Poblacion 1 and 9 in the provincial capital Mamburao. Most of the crimes reported to police involved physical injuries and murder.

Police attributed the chronic crime problems to a variety of social and cultural factors. Widespread poverty and rapid population growth were frequently cited. This urbanization of a traditionally agrarian society was commonly mentioned as cause for increased crime rates.

Philippine National Police in San Jose and other sectors of the community results to maximum community participation in the government's anti-criminality campaign particularly in strengthening of the role of the police in harnessing community participation in crime prevention for an improved socio-economic development and create a secure and safe community environment through sustained and reinvigorated community-based crime prevention programs and inculcate in the hearts and minds of police officers, especially new police the importance of nurturing a good leader in implementing programs that are beneficial to the community.

Crime prevention occurs when we try to reduce the risk of victimization while increasing the risk of being caught; we try to reduce the opportunities for victimization while increasing opportunities for fitting legitimately into society; and we try to reduce the desire to commit crimes while increasing the desire to be a contributor to the improvement of society.

Successful crime prevention efforts will promote a safer community by enhancing the perception of safety and the attitudes and behaviors that help people feel safe. Crime prevention comprises strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes.

The introduction to the Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime indicates that, "There is clear evidence that well-planned crime prevention strategies not only prevent crime and victimization, but also promote community safety and contribute to sustainable development of countries. Effective, responsible crime prevention enhances the quality of life of all citizens. It has long-term benefits in terms of reducing the costs associated with the formal criminal justice system, as well as other social costs that result from crime." (Economic and Social Council resolution 2002/13, annex).

Over the past few decades, crime has skyrocketed, and so have its costs. Nations are spending increasing amounts on health and property as well as on the police, prosecution, court and prisons. Crime control uses up about 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in developed countries and up to 14 percent in developing countries, according to a recent study. But this spending has done little to reverse crime rates or reform offenders. The number of repeat offenders