Rethinking Prevention
Article
Article
The landscape of crime has significantly changed since Chief Constable Serena Kennedy started her career 30 years ago. The complexity of crime investigations has deepened as technology has progressed. A burglary case today involves much broader lines of enquiry. Serena recounts, “Back in the day the focus was on analysing physical evidence such as glass samples, DNA, and fingerprints. We would also conduct
neighbourhood enquiries and do some cocooning. Today, the emphasis has shifted to examining digital footprints such as Ring doorbell footage and mobile phone interactions with Wi-Fi networks.”
Societal changes and technological advancements have also given rise to new and different forms of crime that policing must quickly get to grips with such as domestic coercive control, honour-based abuse, and cyber-crime.
There was a realisation in 2019 that while crimes being reported were falling, calls for the service of policing and the complexity of crimes were increasing. Serena explains, “The police undertake a large amount of non-crime work ranging from mental health to safeguarding and missing persons activity and there is evidence that non-crime demand is growing. For instance, one study has estimated that around 20% of front-line police resource is allocated to incidents requiring mental health intervention.”1
To address this recognition, there needed to be a pivotal shift to innovative problem solving which culminated in the first National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) National Policing Prevention Strategy2 and the introduction of a new Prevention Coordination Committee to oversee its delivery. Serena says, “If we could work with our partners to prevent incidents from happening in the first place, this would ultimately foster safer communities and it will help policing cope with the wave of demand coming into policing nationally. The new strategy demonstrated a real commitment by NPCC and therefore Chief Constables, to prioritise prevention.”
The National Policing Prevention Strategy has taken a novel approach to prevention by choosing a more holistic, public health approach to preventing harm and minimising risks to harm on a large population level. One key pillar of the strategy is ushering in a cultural change to encourage preventative policing as a core function, “It’s a big thing”, Serena explains. “Policing is a very reactive service and therefore we need
to do work to shift that culture towards a more preventative mindset.”
To facilitate this culture change, Serena wants to support scientific rigour in prevention and create a network of academic excellence for evidence-based policing and public safety, working closely with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Police Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Paul Taylor. She wishes to encourage the development of more policing and academic partnerships, improve knowledge mobilisation and evaluation, plus commission and fund research into policing the way health and education do.
Serena acknowledges it’s a big task, but she and her team are ready to tackle it head on, “It is about expanding the accessibility of policing to academia, creating an ideas greenhouse, and building a real police science profession.”
The Prevention Committee are working with key partners to see if policing can build academic rigour around the way prevention is costed. Serena admits, “We are not great at being able to articulate why we should spend money, time andresources in relation to prevention.”
In 2023, Professor Stuart Kirby from the University of Central Lancashire was commissioned to conduct research surrounding cost analysis in crime prevention. He says, the results were startling.
Professor Kirby explains that crime prevention and community safety are inextricably linked with cost.4 Reducing the number of offenders and victims not only diminishes crime costs and subsequent criminal justice expenses, but it also reduces associated health and social care costs. “Without proper evaluation of cost prevention activities, police forces risk wasting an enormous amount of money. To do good prevention, we need to understand the underlying factors which contribute to criminal behaviour which is vital to develop effective interventions that don’t rely on police enforcement.”
Research undertaken almost 10 years ago found that prolific offenders account for 9% of the offending population, who commit a disproportionate amount of crime (52%). The same pattern is seen with victims and places with a small number experiencing a disproportionate amount of crime.5 Professor Kirby adds, “By targeting preventative efforts on repeat offenders, crime and places we can make a big difference. While more up to date research is needed, it’s clear that simply arresting individuals often doesn’t stop them from reoffending which is a huge issue.”
Police forces are already reaping the benefits of science and technology to deter criminals and safeguard the most vulnerable.
Secured by Design6 (SBD) is a compelling example. Forming part of the work of the Prevention Coordination Committee, the UK wide initiative delivered by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI)7 works with the government to embed crime prevention into the planning process for new developments and establish police security standards in the building and construction industry.
SBD is implemented by approximately 200 specialist police, Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs). These officers collaborate with architects, builders, developers, local authority planners and registered housing associations on new developments and refurbishments to ‘design out’ crimes like burglary and anti-social behaviour. Providing advice in the development stage for street lighting, building and street layout, entrances and exits, as well as preferred standards and specifications for doors, windows and locks.
Secured by Design developments have become increasingly sought after. In 2022 and 2023, DOCO’s approved nearly 700 SBD developments8. Furthermore, research indicates a substantial reduction in crime rates for SBD housing initiatives – up to 87% in new build housing projects and up to 63% in refurbished properties.9 These reductions are sustainable each and every year10.
Another offshoot of Secured by Design is the Sanctuary Scheme which aims to safeguard domestic abuse victims within their own homes, with DOCOs playing a crucial role in local implementation. A Sanctuary Safe Room, equipped with advanced security features such as a PAS 8621 multi-locking system, a door viewer and hinge bolts to delay unlawful entry, is installed in homes where the perpetrator no longer resides.11 This provides victims the time needed for emergency services to respond. First created in 1998, the initiative is continually updated to reflect the most current research and has been instrumental in enabling thousands of domestic abuse victims to stay safe in their homes and maintain their social roots. Each Sanctuary Room means one less family to rehome and at least one less child to reschool. Coupled with a decrease in crime rates, the scheme is resulting in considerable cost savings for police forces, healthcare services and local authorities.12
Research further indicates that lowering crime and the fear associated with it directly correlates with improved physical and mental well-being, notably in relation to prevalent crimes such as domestic abuse.13 The findings of a study by Nacro,14 a leading social justice charity, details how the psychological burdens of crime, including stress, repeat victimisation and the fear of crime itself are significant contributors to ill health.
In essence, the SBD initiative stands as a testament to the power of science and technology in creating safer environments for communities. By integrating crime prevention into the very fabric of new developments, the initiative ensures that buildings and their surroundings become secure havens where people can live without fear.
While initiatives like the Sanctuary Scheme are aiding crime prevention, policing must also anticipate and prepare against unforeseen challenges and future offences that are yet to emerge.
Professors Kate Bowers and Shane Johnson from University College London urgently warn that while technological advancements can benefit society and enhance public safety, they also inadvertently create new opportunities for crime or new ways of perpetrating existing crimes. Swiftly identifying and confronting these emerging threats are critical for the future of policing and crime prevention.15
They have just published a new framework designed to guide police in the adoption of new technologies, emphasising the need to consider their effectiveness, cost, implementation challenges, ethical considerations, and environmental sustainability.
One rationale for this new framework is the lack of foresight concerning crime opportunity and an absence of security regulation for many technologies. This gap can lead to a “crime harvest” where offenders exploit a product or service’s vulnerability16.
Offenders can rapidly exploit crime opportunities, while governments often experience significant delays in enacting regulations or legislation to counter these threats. Professor Shane Johnson shares a recent example, “Consider internet-connected devices increasingly found around the home. Often referred to as the Internet of Things, smart speakers, smart doorbells, smart door locks and so on collect, store and communicate sensitive data such as usernames, passwords, video or other images that would be of value to offenders. Some devices such as door locks have actuators that, if compromised, would threaten the physical security of those who own them.”
For these types of products, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been working to enhance the security of internet connected devices, with the aspiration of making them “Secure by Design”. The result of this work was the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.17 This act imposes requirements on businesses involved in supplying domestic IoT devices18 such as prohibiting the use of default passwords which are easy to guess or found online and publishing the duration for which security updates will be provided. While these expectations might seem self-evident, previous research found for a large sample of devices, none of the manufacturers had done this19.
While the recent legislative changes are of paramount importance with several large companies having satisfactorily gone through the SBD Secure Connected Device Accreditation process20, which was developed in consultation with DSIT, including Ring, Yale, Squire, they were introduced after internet connected devices had already started to be sold in large numbers.
Professor Kate Bowers says, “In an ideal world, legislation and regulation would be introduced prior to the sale of such products and it would be future proofed to ensure that new products are built to be Secure by Design from the outset. However, we don’t live in an ideal world. New and emerging technologies are and will be adopted by criminals. To limit or address the effects of such adoption, work is required by government and police forces to anticipate future crime threats so that pre-emptive action can be taken as soon as possible, rather than after crime harvests play out. After all, crime prevention is an ongoing process, not just a response.”
The Framework paper has been published and can be viewed here.
