The idea of reducing crime may be easier said than done. For centuries, governments, government departments, and other concerned authorities have battled their way to fully minimize, and in the case of idealists, fully eradicate crimes and incidences of violence, but to no avail. Crimes, both petty and felony crimes, may be present everywhere. Regardless where one goes, even in the most crime-free of all places, there is no one hundred percent guarantee that one would not be victimized by the committers of petty and or felony crimes in the area.
Compared to crime rates in most highly industrialized and developed nations, crime rates in the United Arab Emirates are relatively low. In a recent statement that the United States Department of State released it has been said that “crime generally is not a problem for travelers in the UAE; however, the U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to take normal precautions against theft, such as not leaving a wallet, a purse, or credit unattended” . Having an already low crime rate does not mean that the authorities will already stop working to achieve even lower levels of crime.
Crime prevention is a goal that can be better tackled holistically. Governments and concerned authorities must often go beyond the traditional law enforcement and criminal justice practices and interventions to arrive at better outcomes. In most cases, it is recommended that the government involve the public in crime prevention interventions. One of the common mechanism by which the government does this is by allowing the public to make and or contribute to the government’s investments for crime prevention.
There are many ways how state citizens can involve themselves in such initiatives. They can, for example, conduct group meetings and discuss ways how they can better protect themselves, especially against petty—often the most commonly occurring, crimes. A way to level that action up is to create and or participate in citizen safety projects that the local government launches.
One model that community members and concerned authorities may follow in lowering crime rates is the SARA model. SARA stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment. This model is used in problem-oriented policing programs. It certainly carries the potential of being an effective tool in crime prevention because it systematizes the approach by which authorities and even community members protect themselves or solve a safety-related issue in their community .
References
Problem Oriented Policing Center. (2014). The SARA Model. POP Center.
United States Department of State. (2013). United Arab Emirates. United States Department of State.
