scholarly journals Do-it-yourself surveillance: The practices and effects of WhatsApp Neighbourhood Crime Prevention groups

2021 ◽  
pp. 174165902110410
Author(s):  
Ronald van Steden ◽  
Shanna Mehlbaum
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Basic Assumption ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Economic Dimension ◽  
Exclusionary Practices ◽  
Neighbourhood Watch ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Limited Scope

WhatsApp Neighbourhood Crime Prevention (WNCP) groups are popular in the Netherlands. As a basic assumption, this kind of digital neighbourhood watch could prevent crime, but what is the evidence? Drawing on a mixture of qualitative research and a review of additional publications, we conclude that WNCP groups stimulate social cohesion rather than prevent crime. We reach our conclusion by applying the evaluation EMMIE framework – an acronym for Effect, Mechanisms, Moderators, Implementation and Economics – to the available data. A point for further discussion is the limited scope of the economic dimension. Moral costs must be calculated, too, as WNCP groups tend to deepen divisions between groups of citizens and fuel exclusionary practices in the name of community safety.

scholarly journals When Citizens Are “Actually Doing Police Work”: The Blurring of Boundaries in WhatsApp Neighbourhood Crime Prevention Groups in The Netherlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 272-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anouk Mols ◽  
Jason Pridmore
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Police Work ◽  
Community Police ◽  
Neighbourhood Watch ◽  
Camera Phones ◽  
Ethnic Profiling

Neighbourhood watch messaging groups are part of an already pervasive phenomenon in The Netherlands, despite having only recently emerged. In many neighbourhoods, street signs have been installed to make passers-by aware of active neighbourhood surveillance. In messaging groups (using WhatsApp or similar communication apps), neighbours exchange warnings, concerns, and information about incidents, emergencies, and (allegedly) suspicious situations. These exchanges often lead to neighbours actively protecting and monitoring their streets, sending messages about suspicious activities, and using camera-phones to record events. While citizen-initiated participatory policing practices in the neighbourhood can increase (experiences of) safety and social cohesion, they often default to lateral surveillance, ethnic profiling, risky vigilantism, and distrust towards neighbours and strangers. Whereas the use of messaging apps is central, WhatsApp neighbourhood crime prevention (WNCP) groups are heterogeneous: they vary from independent self-organised policing networks to neighbours working with and alongside community police. As suggested by one of our interviewees, this can lead to citizens “actually doing police work,” which complicates relationships between police and citizens. This paper draws on interviews and focus groups in order to examine participatory policing practices and the responsibilisation of citizens for their neighbourhood safety and security. This exploration of actual practices shows that these often diverge from the intended process and that the blurring of boundaries between police and citizens complicates issues of accountability and normalises suspicion and the responsibilisation of citizens.

scholarly journals Guardianship in the Digital Age

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Reynald
Keyword(s):  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Digital Crime ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
And Control

This conceptual article focuses on the potential to advance and extend guardianship using new digital crime prevention applications that have been developed as a consequence of technological advancements in communication and social engagement. The new opportunity structure for informal guardianship through active citizen participation and involvement in crime prevention and control efforts using the Internet and smartphones is discussed to emphasize how this has changed in the digital age. Specifically, the article highlights how the fundamental tenets of guardianship (i.e., what it means to be available, how supervision or monitoring is carried out and ways of intervening) have evolved due to neighborhood watch/community safety mobile applications. Based on what we have learned about guardianship, this article considers the potential for these digital crime prevention applications to extend and support guardianship. It also assesses these applications critically by highlighting some of the concerns and risks that need to be considered amid the proliferation of these new platforms for crime control. The article concludes by weighing up the pros and cons with a view to focusing on key issues in the continued development of such applications so their potential can be maximized.

scholarly journals A quantitative study of Prince Albert’s crime/risk reduction approach to community safety

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Murray J. Sawatsky ◽  
Rick Ruddell ◽  
Nicholas A. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Community Mobilization ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Costs Of Crime ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Crime Risk

Faced with escalating crime rates and increasing demands for services, the Prince Albert Police Service led a mobilization effort to implement a crime/risk reduction strategy called Community Mobilization Prince Albert (CMPA). This study examines the evolution of crime prevention practices from traditional police-based practices that rely on focused enforcement practices, to the emerging risk reduction model, wherein police-led partnerships with community agencies are developing responses to the unmet needs of individuals and families facing acutely elevated risk (AER). These community mobilization strategies have resonated with justice system stakeholders throughout Canada, diffusing throughout the nation in a relatively short period of time. This study examines the outcomes of these crime prevention efforts and their results on reducing crime and social disorder and the associated costs of crime to society, after implementation of CMPA in 2011. In order to evaluate the crime reduction efficacy of this approach, crime rates and the costs of crime were examined prior to the adoption of the mobilization efforts and afterwards. We find a statistically significant decrease in the rates of violent and property crimes after the introduction of the community mobilization approach, and the costs to society of these offences also decreased. Given those findings, a number of implications for policy, practice, and future research are identified.

scholarly journals Community Safety and Crime Prevention Partnerships: Challenges and Opportunities

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Sheperdson ◽  
Garner Clancey ◽  
Murray Lee ◽  
Thomas Crofts
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
State Government ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

In many jurisdictions around the world, community safety and crime prevention activity is supported by interagency committees. In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), local government Community Safety Officers (CSOs) lead, support or participate in a range of interagency and ‘whole of government’ networks, most of which were established to support central NSW state government crime prevention and community safety initiatives. Research was conducted with the aim of exploring the CSOs’ experience of the ‘whole of government’ partnerships established to support community safety and crime prevention in NSW.[i] The findings support international research which suggests that central-local partnerships are inhibited by different agendas, responsibilities and power dynamics across different levels of government. Some of the key contextual challenges for this work include concerns about costs shifting from State to local government and about shifting State government priorities; barriers to funding and to accessing crime (and other) data; and various administrative burdens. Consequently, we argued that there is a need for formal engagement and negotiation between, on the one hand, State government agencies that steer NSW crime prevention and, on the other, community safety policy initiatives and local government. Such engagement could help overcome the perception, indeed the reality, that shifting and dumping costs and responsibilities to local government is creating a range of burdens for CSOs. [i] The authors thank the NSW Local Government Community Safety and Crime Prevention Network and the individual local government CSOs who kindly assisted and contributed to this research.

Participation and in the Aegean Polynesia

2017 ◽  
pp. 246-258
Author(s):  
George O. Tsobanoglou ◽  
Eirini Ioanna Vlachopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Qualitative Research Methods ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
European Perspective ◽  
European Policies

The EU recognises that islands suffer from disadvantaging external natural and economic circumstances. As the need for public participation in decision-making increases, in order to address economic and social cohesion issues, both national and supranational authorities should take action to reinforce community involvement in policy. This research, using information from case studies from Greek islands, investigates the obstacles in promoting public participation in insular areas from a European perspective. The study was based on qualitative research methods and an extensive literature review. In areas with low cohesion, attempts for participation failed. In other areas, where social cohesion was maintained, there was mistrust towards local authorities but the members of the community were eager to collaborate with the researcher to promote participation. It was evident that there is urgency for adoption of national and European policies focused on the needs of the insular communities, with respect to their unique circumstances.

scholarly journals The Role of IZI Supervision in Productive Zakat Utilization

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-410
Author(s):  
Syamsuddin Syamsuddin
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Basic Assumption ◽  
Logical Interpretation ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Descriptive Method

The purpose of this study is to determine how IZI supervision regarding the utilization of productive zakat funds. In more detail, this study aims to determine the form of supervision carried out, starting from the stages, processes, and types of supervision. The theory used in this research is that of M. Manullang, namely, preventive supervision. The basic assumption is to anticipate failure during implementation from before (prevention). This research is qualitative research using the descriptive method. Collecting data in this study used observation, interview, and documentation techniques. The data analysis in this study used a logical interpretation connected with Da'wah Management's context. The research results show that the basis of thought in the supervision of productive zakat funds is to anticipate (preventive) the misuse of zakat funds, which should be utilized, into one-time consumable funds because the purpose of making productive zakat funds is to make mustahiq muzakki.Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui bagaimana pengawasan pihak IZI mengenai pendayagunaan dana zakat produktif. Secara lebih rinci tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bentuk pengawasan yang dilakukan,dari mulai tahapan,proses dan jenis pengawasannya. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah yang dikemukakan oleh M. Manullang, yaitu pengawasan preventif. Asumsi dasarnya adalah untuk mengantisipasi kegagalan ketika pelaksanaan dari sebelumnya (pencegahan). Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif. Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini digunakan teknik observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Analisis data dalam penelitian ini digunakan penafsiran logika yang dihubungkan dengan konteks Manejemen Dakwah. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa yang menjadi landasan pemikiran dalam pengawasan dana zakat produktif adalah untuk mengantisipasi (preventif) terjadinya penyalahgunaan dana zakat yang harusnya di berdayagunakan, menjadi dana konsumtif yang sekali habis. Karena tujuan dari pendayagunaan dana zakat produktif menjadikan mustahik menjadi muzakki.

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