BTEC Level 3 National Public Services

Unit 12 Crime and its effects on society

Unit 12 Crime and its effects on society

1. What is anti-social behaviour? What current legislation is there to deal with this? Explain at least two. Examples of anti-social behaviour include: noise using & selling drugs unkempt Gardens (e.g. those which attract dumping of goods, creating eyesores) alcohol and solvent abuse criminal behaviour prostitution verbal abuse uncontrolled pets and animals intimidating gatherings of young people in public places harassment (including racist & homophobic incidents) damage to property (including graffiti & vandalism) intimidation nuisance from vehicles (including parking & abandonment) nuisance from business use rubbish dumping and misuse of communal areas riding/cycling on footpaths aggressive begging.

Current legislation is: Police Reform Act 2002 This act received Royal Assent on the 24 July 2002 and its content was brought into forces in a number of stages. The fundamental aims of the act are to improve things like supervision, administrative functions and conduct of police forces, police officers and other people who carry out police related functions. It also made some amendments to police powers and provided powers for non police officers relating to anti-social behaviour. Criminal Justice Act 2003 This act was designed to look at a wide range of measures to modernise areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and to a lesser extent Scotland and Northern Ireland. It looked at a number of things including amending the law relating to police powers, bail, disclosure of evidence, prosecution appeals etc. It also permitted judges to sit alone without a jury in certain cases and expanded the double jeopardy ruling. Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 This act was designed to strengthen the rules around anti-social behaviour and fixed penalty notices. It also banned the sale of spray paints to under 16 year olds and gave local councils powers to remove graffiti from private properties. The other feature of the legislation was to address other issues including truancy, gang activity and public drunkenness to name a few. 2. It is important to deal with different offenders in a different way; can you identify the main sentences and orders a criminal court can impose? I will give you a clue: Prison. Child Curfew Schemes Truancy orders Final Warnings Fines Community sentences Custodial sentences Compensation Child Safety Orders Parenting Orders Reparation Orders

Pearson Education Ltd 2010. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.

Unit 12 Crime and its effects on society

BTEC Level 3 National Public Services

3.

Supervision Orders Restriction of Liberty Orders Community Rehabilitation Orders

In the red corner nature (your biology). In the blue corner nurture (your upbringing). Which side do you think will win and why? What are the theories of criminal behaviour? What other casual factors should you consider? Three main theoretical theories, biological, psychological and sociological. Other causal factors include: Peer Pressure Drugs/Alcohol Education Family Political and economic factors.

4.

Why am I scared to go out after dark? How and why has crime affected me in this way, explain?

The impact of crime can be far reaching including:

Public perception of crime The types of behaviour identified above can and do make the public very fearful of crime and disorder and give the perception that crime is everywhere and something we should fear always. In most cases our fear of crime is much higher than the likelihood of us actually being a victim of crime. The Media This includes things like television, radio, newspapers, the internet and magazines to name but a few. When looking at crime the media can often present a distorted view of reality which can in turn make us more fearful of crime. In essence the media need to have newsworthy stories for us to read and in doing this will select the stories they report on with care. This can give the public the impression that these crimes are much more common than they actually are Fear of Crime As mentioned earlier when the media and public perception of crime are high this leads to a heightened fear of crime. People are often frightened of crime for a variety of reasons such as (1) we live in a high crime area (2) we have already been a victim of crime (3) we feel poorly informed about policing in our local area (4) our local environment is in a state of disrepair (5) there is poor public transport in our local area. 5. Do the police and other agencies do enough to reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour? Can you list and explain five examples of what these organisations do? Police Community Support Officers (PCOs) primary purpose is to improve the community and offer greater public reassurance. They work with a number of partner organisations to address antisocial behaviour, the fear of crime, environmental issues and other factors which affect the quality of peoples lives. Community wardens similar to PCSOs but they are employed by the local council. Their aim is to help people within the local authority area to live safely and independently in their neighbourhoods and communities. They again provide a visible uniformed presence to tackle anti-social behaviour and are often a focal point for communities.

Pearson Education Ltd 2010. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.

BTEC Level 3 National Public Services

Unit 12 Crime and its effects on society

Community safety partnerships alongside the Crime and Disorder Act, safer community Initiatives were developed. These are more local initiatives that involve multi-agency partnerships that are intended to make areas safer and nicer places to live by beating crime and tackling drugs. Police, local authorities and key partnerships work together to deliver more coordinated services. These initiatives focus on anti-social behaviour and associated violence and criminal damage. Third sector organisations other organisations also exist with the purpose of reducing crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, such as NACRO. The aim of the charity is to set up practical services to help ex-offenders resettle in the community. They work with individuals at risk of getting involved in crime and with communities to help prevent crime. Police provide a great deal of support to the victims; they are usually first on the scene as well as the first agency to make contact with the victim. This initial contact is crucial in collecting enough evidence to pursue a suspect. Within the Police Service there are specialist family units as well as officers trained to deal with many other aspects of crime such as sexual crimes or crimes involving children. A family liaison officer is often appointed in the most serious cases so that there is a stable point of contact for the victim and families. The police can also refer victims to other specialist agencies that exist to support victims of all types of crime. Prison within England and Wales there are 138 prisons that look after in excess of 80,000 prisoners each year. The Criminal Justice System (CJS) use imprisonment for the most serious offences and when no other punishment is appropriate. It is used to keep the public safe from those who have committed the crime as well as punish them for their offences. Prisons are categorised according to the level of risk the offender poses to the public. Probation Service an organisation designed to supervise offenders. Of those supervised approximately 90% are male and 10% female. Of these 70% will be supervised on a community sentence and the remaining 30% imprisoned with a period of statutory licence supervision in the community as an integral part of the sentence. Youth Offending Teams (YOT) exist within every local authority in England and Wales. These teams are made up from public service colleagues from a wide range of services including police, probation service, social services, health, education, drugs and alcohol misuse and housing officers. This is so that the team can draw upon a wealth of knowledge and experience across a wide range of services in order to support any young offender in the best way possible. 6. I have been a victim of crime and now I need to go to court to tell them what happened. What will happen? Will I be looked after? Will I come face to face with the person who committed the crime? What support can I expect to receive from third sector organisations and other agencies? Code of practice for victims of crime This piece of legislation comes directly from the Home Office and is designed to set out the service that a victim can expect to receive from the criminal justice system. There are a number of areas that are covered by these codes including (1) in the case of a bereavement, the relatives are given a dedicated family liaison police officer (2) the flexibility to opt in and out of the services provided to ensure each victim receives the level of service they want (3) the right to up-to-date information on how the investigation of the crime is progressing including timescales and notification of people arrested and sent to court as a result of the crime (4) the right to information about the services offered by Victim Support and an offer of their support (5) accurate information about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) to those eligible to claim under the scheme (6) a more supportive and enhanced service in the cases of victims who are vulnerable or feel intimidated.

Pearson Education Ltd 2010. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.

Unit 12 Crime and its effects on society

BTEC Level 3 National Public Services

Witness Charter The services provided by the charter include (1) minimising unnecessary attendance and waiting times in court (2) an opportunity to visit the court building before the trial (3) information about the process of investigation, a court case and the key stages of the process (4) emotional and practical support before, during and after the court case. Witness Protection These schemes are a last measure as they require the identity of the people going into the scheme to change. This often includes leaving their homes, family, job and changing their name. Schemes such as these are only used if the life of those involved is in serious jeopardy as a result of their involvement in the court case. This is usually as a result of being witness to a serious crime especially when there may be revenge on a witness after giving evidence in court. Supporting repeat victims Repeat victimisation can have devastating consequences on the victims, therefore it is important for all police forces to tackle this as part of their crime management strategies. This should be done by (1) ensuring crime recording systems are accurately identifying repeat victims so this can be both measured and monitored (2) ensuring a prompt response to repeat victims (3) ensuring that appropriate resources are allocated to include a strategy of prevention and detection to reflect local victimisation patterns which includes a graded response for repeat victims of crime.

Pearson Education Ltd 2010. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.