It is now widely accepted that the design of buildings and their surroundings can influence the commission of crime and nuisance behaviour (Garrad, 1999) and that the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime, and an improvement in the quality of life (Skogan, 1990a). This article reports on research undertaken to determine whether architects, designing shopping centres in the 1960s and late 1990s, were aware of the link between environmental design and criminal opportunity. It goes on to examine what relation that ignorance/awareness might have to criminal opportunity, nuisance behaviour, and fear of crime in users. The related issue of management/maintenance of centres is also examined. The design of two Portsmouth, England, shopping centres (the ?Tricorn??planned and built in the 1960s and ?Gunwhaf Quays' ? planned and built in the late 1990s) is compared. The research findings utilising interviews, questionnaires and examination of local newspaper reports suggest that users found the ?Tricorn? to be poorly designed, ill maintained, to attract crime and nuisance behaviour, and to make them feel unsafe whilst, in contrast, users felt that ?Gunwharf Quays' is well designed and maintained. Many feel that these factors may be connected to their feelings of safety, and to what they observed as low levels of crime and nuisance behaviour. Overall, the findings indicate that design and maintenance are important elements in relation to levels of crime, nuisance, and fear of crime in shopping centres. Several recommendations are made in the light of these findingsPeer reviewe
‘So you know, as daft as it sounds, if you’ve got a building, that really isn’t a priority, is it?’ Despite the wealth of heritage sites in the UK, the topic is a marginalised area of criminological study here. It has been argued that there is discordance between the concepts of ‘heritage’ and ‘crime’. One is holistic; the other set in the law. Through a programme of semi-structured interviews with ‘heritage place managers’ and questionnaires delivered to neighbourhood policing teams in Nottinghamshire Police, this research aimed to examine this clash. In particular, it aimed to compare and contrast heritage place managers’ understandings and experiences of heritage crime with those of police practitioners. It was found that the two groups differed markedly in this respect, creating feelings of frustration and stagnation for both. Such findings are of particular concern in the light of statistics which demonstrate that heritage crime is occurring frequently across the UK, and evidence that offenders are targeting new heritage assets and sites in response to changing legislation. Budget cuts, which continue to impact upon policing priorities in Nottinghamshire, further compound the problem. The conclusion of this article details the potential impacts of these findings and suggests changes relating to both the heritage and policing sectors.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to consider a major cause of miscarriages of justice worldwide, namely the police investigative and interviewing process.Design/methodology/approach -This phenomenon is examined through the lens of psychiatric and psychological research findings and subsequent recommendations that have made a significant impact in term of changes to legislation, policy, and practice in the UK.Findings -The paper shows that despite major improvements in this area in the UK there is still no room for complacency, as miscarriages of justice continue to occur both here and worldwide.Research limitations/implications -This paper calls for researchers to continue to identify the weaknesses in the police investigative and interview process and to propose reform based on their scientific findings.Originality/value -The paper highlights what remains a somewhat neglected piece of the investigative jigsaw, namely the interviewing of adult victims and witnesses, pinpointing this as an area where transparency and further research is required.
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