Understanding Risky Facilities
Building on their past research on situational crime prevention, Drs. Clarke and Eck explain the concept of risky facilities in this paper.
Introduction
In any large city just a handful of bars give the police far more trouble than all the rest put together. The same is true of many other types of establishments, such as schools, convenience stores, and parking lots. In each case, just a few produce far more crime, disorder, and calls for police assistance than the rest of the group combined. This phenomenon—called “risky facilities”—has important implications for many problem-oriented policing projects. In particular, it can help police focus their energies where they are needed most and can help in selecting appropriate preventive measures. This guide serves as an introduction to risky facilities and shows how the concept can aid problem-oriented policing efforts by providing answers to the following key questions.
1. What are risky facilities?
2. How widespread are risky facilities?
3. How is the concept of risky facilities different from hot spots and repeat victimization?
4. How can the concept of risky facilities assist problem-oriented policing projects?
5. How can risk be measured?
6. How is the concentration of risk among facilities calculated?
7. Why do facilities vary in risk?
8. How are risk factors identified for a particular group of facilities?
9. How can risk be reduced?