U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Towards a Research-Based Crime Reduction Policy: Crime Prevention as a Cost-Effective Policy Option

NCJ Number
175826
Author(s)
J J M van Dijk
Date Published
1997
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The author believes crime reduction policies should be research-based, derived from an objective analysis of crime and its social causes in an international perspective.
Abstract
Crime reduction policies should result from theoretical insights into crime causes and empirical research on the cost- effectiveness of available interventions. Examples of how research-based crime reduction policies may develop in Europe are set in the context of public anxiety about crime, crime trends, and crime prevention. The examples show certain components are necessary in developing appropriate crime prevention policies and measures: (1) availability of relevant data; (2) experimentation and evaluation; and (3) large-scale implementation. The author recommends that European statistics be standardized, that research and development be conducted at the European level, and that emphasis be placed on cost-benefit analysis of crime prevention policies and measures. 11 references, 3 tables, and 7 figures