Introduction
Today’s criminal activities have made the world a dangerous place, which makes people tread vigilantly for their own security. Since what affects one directly affects another indirectly, no one is free from crime. Therefore, crime affects not only the emotional, social, financial, physical and psychological status of people but also business prospects, the economic stability and growth of the nations.
Conversely, with the application of crime prevention strategies and penalties, he or she lives a fearful and restricted life just like the crime victims. The aim of crime prevention strategies is to create conditions that cut the chances and motivation for crime, transforming the capability of the criminal justice system to handle crimes (Schuck, 2005, p. 447). Therefore, the paper addresses how the application of crime prevention strategy to reduce fear and hopelessness, promotes human freedom and liberty that enhances people’s quality of life, their business prospects and a country’s economic growth.
How CPS Affects One’s Quality of Life
Crime is a continuing hot topic in the mass media, politicians, and the public. As such, one moral panic follows another. Embellished impressions of crime waves take hold to the level of demonizing some groups of people (Wade, 2008, p. 240). The developments in technology have led to new applications of crime detection strategies in Australia. Accordingly, with the increasing democracy, using technologies in crime controls are increasingly accessible to most nations whose freedom might, otherwise, be full of the fear of crime. ‘‘Such technologies offer reassurance, independent of any objective risk’’ (Adam, 1998, p. 3). As such, some of the crime prevention innovations are free of problems. This limits the adverse consequences of crimes that would otherwise instill fear and anxiety, as well as the free movement of people.
By ensuring entire awareness for the people, crime prevention strategy accomplishes the basic principles of human rights and freedoms, which are necessary for irreproachable quality life (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 439). Responsibility has also made parents track the movement of their children thereby creation some hope to the younger generation (Schuck, 2005, p. 450). In addition, portable crime control systems enable the user to contact a friend, relative, or security service when he or she is in need of assistance. Therefore, the world has embarked on creating a more effective and efficient program of preventing crime an effort that improves confidence and safer communities (Wade, 2008, p. 238).
The enumeration of costs and benefits of crime prevention strategy helps policymakers to initiate a more informed decision, which improves the wellbeing of the society. The application of crime prevention strategy eliminates fear, depression and ensures the accomplishment of rights and freedoms of the people (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 65). It also guarantees safety of services for the victims, families and communities. Successful and established prevention ‘‘is a right of victims that, not only reduces victimization for a wide category of crime, but also does so sustainably and cost effectively’’ (Adam, 1998, p. 1). Therefore, any person is free to express his or herself with improved emotional, social, financial, physical and psychological status. Minimizing crime and violence implies less destruction to victims, smaller amount of money to taxpayers and reduced workloads for police forces, legal representatives, and prisons (Homel, 2005, p. 355).
However, in human trafficking, forced labor and sexual abuse, children and women are the principal victims. Therefore, in combating the crimes, the strategies contain heavier penalties for human traffickers, organized crimes and sexual predators among others (Adam, 1998, p. 5). As such, there are significant reductions in violent and property crimes, which would otherwise results into intangible losses to quality of life. The strategies also promote accountability, safety and prevention for the victims (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 70). Accordingly, comprehensive strategies with smart criminal justice reduce human frustrations and enhance community safety (Beebe, & Rao, 2009, p. 335). It also helps people to protect their lives and properties, thus, tracking the whereabouts of their children.
Investment in crime prevention provides a significant means of improving the standards of life in the society (Birgden, 2009, p. 116). Therefore, the main principle governing the use of technology is to improve criminal justice. ‘‘The public should be the ultimate beneficiaries of new crime prevention technologies’’ (Adam, 1998, p. 6). By enhancing the society’s safety, the strategy reduces fear and anti-social behavior. For crimes involving firearms, crime prevention strategy provides legislative controls of owning, exporting and importing firearms (Birgden, 2009, p. 95). The strategies also deal with perceived gangsters. This ensures that people live without fear not interrupted from their everyday activities that are vital in enhancing their quality of lives and nation building (Schuck, 2005, p. 448). In addition, it guarantees safety of the people hence enabling them to move freely when doing business thus improving their living standards.
How CPS Affects Business Prospects
The application of crime prevention strategy promotes entrepreneurship and the growth of small businesses that have the capacity of bringing several Australians out of poverty and into the mainstreaming economy (Beebe, & Rao, 2009, p. 337). There is significant potential for access to and the exploitation of technology by criminals. However, ‘‘technology for criminal justice can lead to greater security for citizens, and reduced hazards for criminal justice professionals’’ (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 445). However, in the business set up, the risks of crime are most vital to small business and new business investments in the economy with no established measures of combating crimes (Adam, 1998, p. 4). Otherwise, with crime prevention strategies, most vulnerable businesses, receive the dedication and support resulting into economic growth in the society.
Although studies have identified that a business that has experienced an incident of crime risk the repeat of the same incidents and even much higher, new crime strategies can create confidence for the business prospectors (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 72). In addition, without proper remedy, people would often not want to construct their businesses in crime prone areas resulting into few businesses, which would otherwise exploit the community (Birgden, 2009, p. 94).
However, if one wishes to have his or her business premises in such areas, he or she will have to pay more premiums for security and prosperity of the business (Wade, 2008, p. 246). Besides, businesses in high crime areas experience challenges related to direct and indirect costs of crime (Wade, 2008, p. 248). The direct costs consist of ‘‘the value of merchandise and money stolen, cost of disruption of business, and damage to property’’ (Homel, 2005, p. 361). Since the cost accounts for about nine percent of the small businesses in crime areas, application of crime prevention strategies helps sustain these businesses.
The application of crime prevention strategies assists the businesses to withstand the threats emanating form crimes. Among the several challenges facing small businesses is ‘‘the direct cost of crime having a devastating impact on the livelihoods of small business entrepreneurs’’ (Beebe, & Rao, 2009, p. 330). The fundamental components of strategic prevention should focus on the development youth in communities, through intensification of after school and mentorship programs, as well as increasing investments in education, to minimize the criminal activities (Birgden, 2009, p. 114). Otherwise, the costs of crime prevention can remain a significant obstacle to the success of any business initiative.
Moreover, for small business or any prospective business, these costs of hiring physical security guards or even guard dogs, renting or constructing the premises and installing alarms and camera system as well as barbed wire fences in order to protect ones investment can affect a business (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p.67). Since crime captures a significant section of any country’s economic wealth in terms of how the government handles grafts, bureaucracies, corruption and financial resources embezzlement also increase the costs of doing business.
The application of crime prevention strategies minimizes the opportunity cost of crime on business. Direct costs to business due to crime are not the only barriers of crime activities to the success of small and new businesses (Homel, 2005, p. 359). The perception of soaring levels of crimes itself, particularly in crime prone areas, is evidence that most customers will have to avoid those areas (Schuck, 2005, p. 452). For example, from the study, several small businesses ‘‘have felt that fear of crime by customers has had a negative impact on their businesses’’ (Beebe, & Rao, 2009, p. 338). In addition, several businesses would rather limit their operations by closing early due to high crime levels at night (Wade, 2008, p. 241). These factors if not well regulated by the application of crime prevention strategy may result in less income for small and prospective new business due to fear of crime.
In addition, just like direct cost, ‘‘indirect effects, and opportunities lost to business because of high crime rates may put many businesses at risk” (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 74). Crime is a restraint on entrepreneurial pursuits of Australians. A lower criminal justice system cost reduces expansion limitations of small business. The resultant effect is that many people will invest in business thereby creating jobs in the country (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 440). As such, ‘‘if a small business is successful, but has cancelled plans to expand, it also has cancelled plans to hire more people’’ (Schuck, 2005, p. 449).
Without proper strategic measure for the crimes, there will be reluctance in investment because the prospects of success are less (Homel, 2005, p. 364). Since socio-economic problems underpin violent crime, security issue is a social issue. Crime contributes directly to the lack of growth in employment opportunities making it undefeatable obstacle for the advancement of Australia’s economic activity (Wade, 2008, p. 249).
How CPS Affects a Country’s Economic Growth
Investment in crime prevention allows for a substantial reduction of economic and social cost of the criminal justice and penal. Therefore, economic costs and benefits of crime prevention programs and policies are vital topics nationwide and worldwide (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 81). A crime prevention strategy increases tax revenues and decreased welfare outlays and expenditures for education, health, and other services (Homel, 2005, p. 360). A legitimate crime prevention policy should focus on the prosperity and socio-economic stability of the nation. The economic empowerment and business advancement is extremely vital for any nation (Beebe, & Rao, 2009, p. 332).
Despite the fact that crime activities destabilizes the economic growth of nations, poor economy can, on the other hand, be the partial cause for crime leading to depression and anxiety of the people. Addressing crime at the community levels provides “the avenue for economic growth and empowerment for Australians” (Wade, 2008, p. 236) further reducing crimes in the society. Since drug detection has also become a fertile area for technological development, ‘‘technologies of drug detection such as bred and trained sniffer dogs, infrared spectroscopy’’ have help in tracking of the illicit substances, as well as their ingredients (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 450).
The application of crime prevention strategy also minimizes drug abuse, which is a key problem to the lives of the users, morality of the society and the nation (Wade, 2008, p. 244). Drugs such as ‘‘marijuana, crack cocaine or methamphetamine’’ improves the financial status of their dealers, they leave the whole society with long-term devastating effects (Adam, 1998, p. 2). Therefore, the application of community prosecution strategies is paramount in helping communities solve drug related problems hence addressing the quality-of-life issues (Birgden, 2009, p. 113). Otherwise, people need to consider crime and delinquency, substance abuse, education, employment, health, and family outcomes in developing crime prevention standards (Schuck, 2005, p. 461).
Criminal justice also uses the application of technology such as the Internet to enhance community policing. The improved communication between the police and the public is vital for proper security and peaceful living (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 441). Therefore, by ensuring the apprehension of fugitive suspects responsible for fraud and child pornography, application of crime prevention strategy improves the quality of people’s lives because it maintains human dignity and respect (Schuck, 2005, p. 455). Organized crimes create a substantial threat to ‘‘social, economic and moral fiber of societies by weakening the efforts towards sustainable development and poverty eradication’’ as well as destabilize the potential for beneficial governance (Birgden, 2009, p. 99).
A free society should address threats, hopelessness, fear, and other effects caused by crimes for the enhancement of human rights and freedoms and improvement of economic activities in order to improve the lives of the people (Schuck, 2005, p. 458). ‘‘Crime stifles national development as it threatens the foundations of sustainable development’’ (Andrews, & Dowden, 2007, p. 439). In addition, since controlling crime is a costly undertaking. Its cost to development is devastating. However, it requires extremely influential budgets that drain the resources of a country. Therefore, application of crime prevention strategies minimizes hopelessness and fear of the people (Cherney, & Sutton, 2007, p. 69). It also reduces the threats faced by entrepreneurs. Otherwise, the absence of social sustainability for the jobless pushes people into a criminal economy.
Reference List
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