- Identification of topic; Car theft is a huge problem in Dallas County, Texas State and across all other states in the US. Statistics indicate that for every 40 seconds, one car is stolen (Ernst, 2011).
- Contextualization of information about the topic; the background of car theft in the US and specifically Dallas is given (Roberts & Block, 2012; Walsh & Taylor, 2007; Crawford, 2011).
- Thesis statement: “There are effective strategies which can be adopted to prevent car theft in Dallas”.
- Preventing car theft in Dallas
- Hot spot policing (Jang, Lee & Hoover, 2011).
- Use of mobile digital terminal technology (Nunn, 1993; Arrington, 2006).
- Use of publicity campaigns (Barthe, 2004).
- The introduction of car security devices into car design (Webb, 1994).
- The use of automatic number plate recognition system (Henderson, 2004).
- Conclusion
- Synthesis of strategies proposed in the discussion
- Commenting on the significance of the strategies on the thesis.
- Closing remarks.
References
Arrington, R. (2006). Crime prevention: The law enforcement officer's practical guide. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Barthe, E. (2004). “Publicity and Car Crime Prevention.” In M.G. Maxfield and R.V. Clarke (eds.), Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, volume 17 (pp.193-216). Monsey (New York): Criminal Justice Press.
Crawford, S. (2011). Dallas auto thefts continue to plummet. Dallas-Fort Worth News, Sports, Entertainment, Weather and Traffic. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20110824-dallas-auto-thefts-continue- to-plummet.ece
Ernst, K. (2011). Today in Car Theft: Dallas Dealer Loses 35 Sets of 20-Inch Wheels. Motor Authority. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1063766_today-in-car-theft-dallas-dealer-loses-35- sets-of-20-inch-wheels
Henderson, C. (2004). Driving Crime Down, Denying Criminals the Use of the Road, [Automatic Number Plate Recognition (Anpr). London: TSO.
Jang, H., Lee, C. & Hoover, L. (2011). Dallas’ disruption unit: efficacy of hot spots development. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 35(3), 593-614.
Nunn, S. (1993). Computers in the Cop Car: Impact of the Mobile Digital Terminal Technology on Motor Vehicle Theft Clearance and Recovery Rates in a Texas City. Evaluation Review, 17(2), 182-203.
Roberts, A. & Block, S. (2012). Explaining Temporary and Permanent Motor Vehicle Theft Rates in the United States A Crime-Specific Approach. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(3), 445-571.
Walsh, J. & Taylor, R. (2007). Predicting Decade-Long Changes in Community Motor Vehicle Theft Rates: Impacts of Structure and Surround. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 44(1), 64-90.
Webb, B. (1994). “Steering Column Locks and Motor Vehicle Theft: Evaluations from Three Cities.” In M.G. Maxfield and R.V. Clarke (eds.), Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, volume 2 (pp. 71-89). Monsey (New York): Criminal Justice Press.
Annotated Bibliography
Arrington, R. (2006). Crime prevention: The law enforcement officer's practical guide. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Arrington examine various strategies which the police apply in preventing various crimes. He asserts that thieves have the potential of stealing an average car with little challenges. In the efforts to protect their cars, individuals should adopt extra steps to render car theft a complex endeavor and to minimize opportunity for car thefts. Arrington states that urban arrears accounted from more incidents of car thefts as compared to rural areas. The book proposes a target hardening mechanism to raise the efforts required by thieves to steal a car. It emphasizes on the use of technology to increase the risk that perpetrators of car thefts will be caught up with, thus deterring car thefts. This book presents various strategies of countering crimes emphasizing on the use of technology to deter car thefts.
Barthe, E. (2004). “Publicity and Car Crime Prevention.” In M.G. Maxfield and R.V. Clarke (eds.), Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, volume 17 (pp.193-216). Monsey (New York): Criminal Justice Press.
This edited volume presents a lucid and succinct account of crime prevention strategies as they relate to car theft; emerging out of an international conference on auto theft in 2003. In the chapter; Publicity and Car Crime Prevention, Barthe argues that publicity can play an important role in addressing car thefts and builds on the social market area research area to offer the components of a successful anti-craft theft campaign. Barthe claims that publicity campaigns have become popular in crime prevention strategies. He illustrates how publicity is a viable tool in addressing car thefts and identifies the constituents of a successful publicity campaign by espousing elements from research in the social market area.
Maxfield and Clarke provide informative and insightful elements of preventing car theft. The book makes the readers aware of the primary issues which are faced by public and private agencies who are engaged in the prevention of car theft. In compiling the articles, they explicate techniques which are used internationally in relation to the prevention of car theft. Generally, the edited book fills a comparative lacuna in the literature of criminal justice.
Crawford, S. (2011). Dallas auto thefts continue to plummet. Dallas-Fort Worth News, Sports, Entertainment, Weather and Traffic. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20110824-dallas-auto-thefts- continue-to-plummet.ece
Crawford presents a discussion on the nature of car theft in the US. He argues that summer is the hottest time where car theft is on the high. However, the incidents of car thefts have decline over the past twenty years as a consequence of enhanced technology and belligerent policing strategies. He compares the figures of car thefts in Dallas over the years, finding that each year the number has declined since 2002. He attributes these results to the all-embracing use of bait cars, preemptive policing and enhanced technology, and publicity campaigns. Despite these outcomes, he argues that the numbers of incidents are still high and there are needs to utilize better and effective approaches.
This article presents a clear analysis of the effects of various strategies which have been implemented to curb car theft in Dallas and U.S. in general. It forms a basis for the need for improved and effective approach to the prevention strategies emphasizing on the use of technology.
Ernst, K. (2011). Today in Car Theft: Dallas Dealer Loses 35 Sets of 20-Inch Wheels. Motor Authority. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1063766_today-in-car-theft-dallas-dealer- loses-35-sets-of-20-inch-wheels
According to Ernst, thefts as car dealerships are not exactly unique and even though majority of the dealerships do not deliberate on it; car thefts often occur hours after the deals. Perpetrators of car theft are often content to seize a set of wheels or the sporadic catalytic converter before they run into the hands of law enforcement agencies. Ernst examines the dealership of Buick GMC which lost 35 sets of wheel on a weekend.
This article gives an insight of the changing trends of car theft, thieves have moved from the conventional incident of going away with the car, to going away with wheels leaving cars on blocks in parking lots. It gives support to the needs to have dynamic approaches in addressing car thefts.
Henderson, C. (2004). Driving Crime Down, Denying Criminals the Use of the Road, [Automatic Number Plate Recognition (Anpr). London: TSO.
According to Henderson , Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is an well-known technology which enables car to be observed by cameras to have the vehicle registration mark read by a pattern recognition platform. When combined with other road management resources they are essential tools in preventing car theft. Henderson presents the case of the UK where the APNR technology was implemented in the Laser 1 project to collect evidence on the operations and effects on APNR enabled intercept police teams to advise policy and potential country wide roll out. As presented by Henderson, APNR-powered intercept teams have portrayed positive results proving to be an effective strategy of engaging with offenders. With various levels of police experience and intelligence, the intercept teams were able to interfere with criminal acts in an effective and efficient way , achieving improved rates of arrests.
This book provides a case in support of the use of APNR powered strategies to prevent car theft. It illustrates the efficiency of these strategies, showcasing its result in comparison with the use of conventional policing strategies. In overall, the book argues for the use if APNR powered intercept teams to interrogate people who are suspected to be perpetrators of car theft.
Jang, H., Lee, C. & Hoover, L.(2011). Dallas’ disruption unit: efficacy of hot spots development. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 35(3), 593-614.
According to Jang, Lee and Hoover, previous studies have delved in a greater extent on hot spot policing with a focus on a particular set of comparatively small designated experimental areas. Nevertheless, with limited resources, law enforcement agencies post hotspot intervention units to various places on a rotational basis. This article examines policing practices in hot spots with aim of determining whether various crimes are affected by the rotation based deployment. The study utilizes the data collected Dallas Police Department, observing the lagged and immediate effects of police activities. The article presents the findings that the hot spots policing by the disruption Unit of Dallas Police Department immediately affected a number of crimes including car thefts. The paper asserts that hot spot policing played an important role in reducing and preventing crimes such as car thefts, with the number of police stops being the most significant factor.
This article presents an encouraging finding on the use of hot spot policing in the prevention of car theft. It reinforces the finding from previous evaluations of hot spot policing; emphasizing on the use of stops saturation patrols to reduce crime. It analyzes the importance of saturating the number of police stops in reducing crimes like car theft. It give a strong support for hot spot policing due to its effectiveness and efficiency.
Nunn, S. (1993). Computers in the Cop Car: Impact of the Mobile Digital Terminal Technology on Motor Vehicle Theft Clearance and Recovery Rates in a Texas City. Evaluation Review, 17(2), 182-203.
Nunn argues that more attention should be focused on the evaluations of the technologies which are employed by police in fighting crime, as computer technologies evolve with time. Among the technologies used by the police are mobile digital terminals (MDT), computer in police cars. With the use of these MDTs, police officers are enabled to communicate with remote information databases on a direct basis. It has been argued that MDTs assist officers raise the clearance rates of incidents and recover stolen items. Nunn presents an evaluation of the utilization of MDTs in Fort Worth Texas. As argued by Nunn, MDTs enhance crime fighting competences, specifically in car theft recoveries and clearances. The article presents the findings of a study which uses a time series research design to evaluate the extent to which MDTs help in fighting car theft. Advancement of MDTs is considered as an intervention and an interpretation of recovery and clearance rates prior and after the conduction of intervention. Nunn present the impact of MDTs on preventing Car thefts and the recovery rates of stolen cars.
As discussed in the article, MDT technology has some significance in fighting car thefts. The recovery of stolen car is heavily connected to its use. The post intervention using MDT improves of efforts of preventing car thefts. This article gives a clear and objective case for the use of MDT in Dallas County by evaluating the benefits of MDT.
Roberts, A. & Block, S. (2012). Explaining Temporary and Permanent Motor Vehicle Theft Rates in the United States A Crime-Specific Approach. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(3), 445-571.
This article presents a study which applies crime specific models basing on differing opportunity structure and probable offender pools to permanent and temporary car theft. Roberts and Block base on 310 cities in the US with over fifty thousand residents to advance and evaluate crime specific multivariate models for permanent and temporary car theft rates. In evaluating the uniqueness of specific variable of crime, with respect to each case of car theft, the study predicts each car theft rate using measures theoretically particular to the other. The article reports the findings that young male individuals and families without cars were positively connected to temporary car theft. Permanent car thefts were associated with auto-related businesses and U.S.-Mexico border proximity. The article suggests that specific prevention strategies are required for each particular case of car theft.
This article is of great significance; it categorizes car thefts as permanent and temporary giving an account of each. It helps in the understanding of car thefts, by explaining the source of each type of car theft. Lastly the article suggests the need to have specific remedies to each type of car theft in order to effectively prevent it.
Walsh, J. & Taylor, R. (2007). Predicting Decade-Long Changes in Community Motor Vehicle Theft Rates: Impacts of Structure and Surround. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 44(1), 64-90.
According to Walsh and Taylor, car theft is disputably the most under researched level of crime. This article gives a prediction of long term changes in car theft rates, inferring previous studies in community drapery and varying delinquency and personal crime rates and cross-sectional efforts on car theft. Information from the police on car theft generated the rates of car thefts in a Midwestern city in 1990-1991 and 2000-2001 which were connected with group data from census block. The rates of car theft later on rose in racially mixed initially societies and those surrounded by societies with high rates of car theft. The paper suggests existent community structure and surrounding to be generating subsequent unfolding effects of car thefts. A second sequence of models connects the varying rates of car thefts with the growing racial heterogeneity, declining community instability, and growing surrounding rates of car thefts. Some connotations between the structure of community and varying crimes or delinquency seem relevant to unstable rates of car thefts.
This article warrants the attention from the prevention teams. First, with the significance of the surround for advanced changes, micro-level deterrence or prevention approaches such as police or citizen patrolling would not ineludibly be effective as compared t patrols focused on a broader unit of the city.
Webb, B. (1994). “Steering Column Locks and Motor Vehicle Theft: Evaluations from Three Cities.” In M.G. Maxfield and R.V. Clarke (eds.), Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, Volume 2 (pp. 71-89). Monsey (New York): Criminal Justice Press.
This chapter; Steering Column Locks and Motor Vehicle Theft: Evaluations from Three Cities, by Webb, in the edited book; Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, provides a succinct support for the installation of security devices on cars. According to Webb, the installation of security gadgets to cars has become an essential approach to the deterrence of car thefts. Car manufactures have emphasized I enhancing perimeter security to deter break-ins in cars and installation of gadgets to avoid incident of missing parked cars. As Webb argues steering column lock is one of the anti-theft gadgets. The paper examines the effects of regulation emphasizing on anti-theft approaches, on car theft.
This article is significant as it provides an evidence of the effects of anti-theft gadgets. It gives a case in support of the use of the gadgets claiming that its usage deduces the instances of car thefts. It also provides a basis to the implementation of effective strategies in preventing incidents of car thefts.
