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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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28 results foundAuthor: Wilson, Dean Title: Marginalised Young People, Surveillance and Public Space: A Research Report Summary: This report finds that young people are particularly vulnerable to the abuse of powers in public surveillance practice and to being the target of policing to regulate behaviour in public spaces. The report aims to inform policy debate on the interaction of young people with public space within a broader context, and by providing empirical evidence on the experiences of young people with surveillance and security in public space. Chapter Two sets the research within the context of current research on young people, surveillance and public space. Chapter Three outlines the focus group and survey methodology used in conducting the present research. Chapter Four presents the results of the survey to give a broad demographic sketch of the backgrounds, education and living situations of those who participated. Chapter Five to Chapter Ten present qualitative data drawn from the focus groups. Chapter Five outlines the participants understanding of surveillance. Chapter Six analyses the perceptions evident in discussions of what surveillance cameras in public areas were for and what they actually do. Chapter Seven examines how surveillance was occasionally resisted and how the young people who participated understood notions of privacy and autonomy in public. Chapter Eight discusses some of the anxieties participants expressed regarding who observed security cameras and how images from cameras might be misused. Chapter Nine outlines participants interactions with security guards, including their feelings of being targeted by security guards on the basis of their age and appearance. Chapter Ten recounts concerns young people raised about ‘knife crime’ and their sense that they were unfairly stigmatized as perpetrators of violence. Finally, Chapter Eleven addresses the policy implications of the research and provides some recommendations for policy change in light of the findings of the research. Details: Melbourne: Youth Affairs Council of Victoria and the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University, 2010. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2010 at: http://www.apo.org.au/sites/default/files/Marginalised%20Young%20People%2C%20Surveillance%20and%20Public%20Space.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.apo.org.au/sites/default/files/Marginalised%20Young%20People%2C%20Surveillance%20and%20Public%20Space.pdf Shelf Number: 119793 Keywords: Public SpaceSecurityStreet YouthVideo Surveillance |
Author: European Forum for Urban Security Title: Citizens, Cities and Video Surveillance: Towards a Democratic and Responsible Use of CCTV Summary: Cities are becoming more crowded, offering ever more opportunities for mobility, culture and education, which in turn require a vast range of increasingly complex and costly facilities. Traffic flows overlap. A relentless commercial show-off excites the public’s desires. Round-the-clock human surveillance is no longer possible due to the high costs, but the development of electronics in the capitalisation of information and their crossover, with the provision of tools that can be either preventive or dissuasive, is leading to a general increase of the number of cameras watching over spaces dedicated to transport, public gatherings, and shopping centres. The prevention of technical incidents is the predominant reason for the installation of cameras, the images from which are both looked at directly and also, increasingly often, analysed using software. Preserving the integrity of these facilities is the second priority of these installations; misuse and intentional damage require rapid interventions for certain equipment, the functioning of which might affect thousands of people. The third motivation behind these installations is compensating for the reduction in the human workforce responsible for operating the equipment. It is for all of these reasons that our cities have become consumers of video surveillance images. The users of these images belong to both the private and public spheres. But a fourth motive has become apparent, and it brings a political twist to the debate. Thanks to CCTV cameras we can stop criminals from operating in the streets, in public spaces. This motive is borne out of a negative acknowledgement concerning the efficiency of the police services. Thus, increasing the number of cases solved would deter would-be criminals to commit a crime. This maxim for a liberal-leaning criminology asserts the principle that if criminals feel certain they will be caught, then they will abstain from commiting a crime. Hence, the twofold argument used in official texts: video cameras contribute to prevention and help to arrest criminals. Perhaps, perhaps... But is it worth it? Studies do not show a clear reduction in crime: they show arrests in some criminal cases, justifying in-depth studies, but the desired mass effect has not materialised. And this is a worry. To achieve at least the second objective, and perhaps even the first, cameras need to be placed throughout the entire city because crimes are evenly spread out in urban areas. If we cross this threshold by saturating public space with cameras, we are on a slippery road towards a society of mistrust, of restrictions of liberties. These questions are being debated throughout Europe. What price do we want to pay for a society that holds security as a fundamental value? A French parliamentary report has recently been published following a series of natural disasters. Its main conclusion is that perhaps we should think about re-introducing a “culture of risk” among citizens. The triumphalism of technology has eliminated the notion of risk from the consciences of citizens. What about letting them know that despite the wonders of technology, they must continue to live in a situation of risk? Is this not the same question that could be asked with regard to crime? There is no such thing as a safe, crimeless society, and any methods that purport to eliminate all risk should be rejected by responsible citizens. The increasing number of cameras watching over public spaces infringes on our individual right to anonymity. Public authorities have a duty to justify this infringement. The European Convention on Human Rights invites us to demand such a justification. It is essential in our opinion that the methods of use of cameras and images should be clarified. Such is the aim of the work carried out by practitioners and experts with the support of the Forum. Details: Paris: European Forum for Urban Security, 2010. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2010/sep/cctv-publication.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2010/sep/cctv-publication.pdf Shelf Number: 120887 Keywords: CCTVCrime PreventionPublic SpaceVideo Surveillance |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: Police Move-On Powers: A CMC Review of their Use Summary: Move-on powers enable police to issue a direction to individuals or groups to move on or leave a public place. Move-on powers are intended to give police powers to respond to antisocial behaviour and thus facilitate improved perceptions of community safety. The powers are also seen as having the potential to divert people away from the criminal justice system. Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers have had the power to issue a move-on direction since 1997. Before 2006, the use of these powers was restricted to certain geographical locations. Over time, there has been an incremental expansion of the areas in which police can apply the laws. On 1 June 2006, new laws were introduced to expand the use of move-on powers to all public places in Queensland. These new laws also required the CMC to review the use of move-on powers as soon as practicable after 31 December 2007. The statewide expansion of the move-on powers occurred at a time when public attention was focused on antisocial behaviour and the mechanisms available to police to effectively prevent and respond to such behaviour. Significantly, the then Minister for Police and Corrective Services, the Hon. J Spence, established the Safe Youth Parties Taskforce (SYPT) in response to incidents of youth parties being gate-crashed and associated youth violence. This taskforce recommended the geographical expansion of the move-on laws (SYPT 2006). The debate surrounding the expansion of the powers centred on a number of issues, most of which stem from the discretionary nature of the law and the way in which police can apply it. In the large part, move-on powers are not complaint driven but rather are used by police in the routine activities associated with the policing of public spaces. When faced with a situation involving a person’s behaviour or presence in a public place, police officers will use their discretion to determine which response is most appropriate in the circumstance. Such responses can range from doing nothing, to unofficially encouraging the individual or group to relocate, to officially directing them to move on, and to using another power to arrest. Concerns were expressed that move-on powers would be misused by police officers. In particular, it was feared that those people living and regularly moving within public spaces, such as young people, homeless people and Indigenous people, would be disproportionately affected by the move-on law and would be displaced to another public space or drawn into the criminal justice system. It was also claimed that the law would enable the police to carry out ‘back-door’ regulation of public spaces, allowing them to remove people who were seen as ‘undesirable’. Views that personal biases, prejudices and stereotyping may influence a police officer’s decision-making processes were also raised. These concerns guided our review and focused our research efforts on the following key questions: How are police using move-on powers? 2. What role do move-on powers play in policing public order? 3. What is guiding or influencing the use of move-on powers? Details: Brisbane: Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2011. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/80468001292819166771.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/80468001292819166771.pdf Shelf Number: 121008 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Australia)Disorderly ConductPolicingPublic PlacesPublic Space |
Author: Bennett, Darcie Title: Security Before Justice: A Study of the Impacts of Private Security on Homeless and Under-Housed Vancouver Residents Summary: Uniformed private security guards are an increasingly visible presence on Vancouver streets. Private security companies operate with nominal formal oversight and guards are often sent out on patrol after less than two weeks of training. People living and working in neighbourhoods patrolled by private guards are generally unclear about who security personnel report to or how to make a complaint against a guard. In spite of these issues, there has been little public debate about the growing role played by private security companies in policing public space. On December 13 2007, the City of Vancouver approved $872,000 to fund the expansion of the Downtown Ambassadors Program, a private security patrol project administered by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA). Notwithstanding the influx of public money, the program will continue to be administered entirely by business improvement associations. With taxpayer dollars being allocated by way of an exclusive no-bid contract with a private company, to enhance private security patrols on public property, it is imperative that Vancouverites begin to ask questions about practice standards, oversight and accountability within the private security industry. In 2007, Pivot Legal Society recruited 154 people from the Downtown Eastside to complete a survey about their interactions with private security guards. Two focus groups were conducted to allow researchers the opportunity to ask follow-up questions based on the results of the survey. This study focuses on the experiences of those most on the margins of society, but it raises issues that should alarm anyone committed to democratic policing, accountable governance and respect for human rights. Through this research, Pivot identified a number of central issues: There is a high level of interaction between private security guards and residents of the Downtown Eastside. In response to the question, “In an average month, how often do you interact (have face to face contact) with private security guards?” a third of survey respondents reported having such contact four times or more per month. Many participants added comments like “every day” or “all the time” in the space provided. Twelve percent of respondents had face to face contact once per month. Homeless people and under-housed people have more frequent, and more problematic, interactions with security guards. Results from the survey suggest a direct relationship between individuals’ housing status and the frequency of their interactions with private security personnel. Private security guards routinely overstep the bounds of their authority on public property. This includes guards asking or otherwise compelling people to move along when they have no legal authority to do so. Private security guards are controlling access to space (on both public and mass private property) in ways that are not in keeping with principles of equality and fairness. This includes issuing informal bans from certain buildings, streets or neighbourhoods and the use of profiling, where people are treated differently depending upon their appearance. Profiling results in the continued harassment of homeless and visibly poor people, who are disproportionately Aboriginal and/or may suffer from a mental or physical disability including drug addiction. Private security guards use force illegally. Both survey respondents and focus group participants claimed that guards are using force and threats of violence against homeless and other marginalized people on a routine basis. There is little accountability when private security guards overstep their authority. People in the Downtown Eastside are not generally aware of their rights in relation to security guards, or how to complain about security guards’ actions. Only 39 of 154 survey respondents reported that they were aware of the process for making a complaint against a security guard. This study finds that negative impacts of the expansion of private security services are felt most profoundly by those living on the margins. The findings also show the need for rigorous monitoring and accountability mechanisms in order to ensure that policing bodies, whether public or private, carry out their work in a just, equitable, accountable and efficient manner rooted in respect for the rights and dignity of all people regardless of race, ancestry, socio-economic status, or mental and physical ability. Details: Vancouver, BC: Pivot Legal Socieyt, 2008. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.pivotlegal.org/pdfs/securitybeforejustice.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.pivotlegal.org/pdfs/securitybeforejustice.pdf Shelf Number: 121150 Keywords: HomelessnessPrivate Security GuardsPublic Space |
Author: Dwyer, Robyn Title: People who Drink in Public Space in the Footscray CBD Summary: Public drinking produces significant harms to the drinker and can negatively affect public amenity. In response to concern about public drinking in the Footscray Central Business District, in 2003 Maribyrnong City Council enacted a Local law creating an alcohol exclusion zone around the Footscray CBD. Information from drinkers was collected by DASWest in March 2004 about the zone’s likely effects and impact on public drinkers. The aim of the current research was to update the information collected in 2004. To this end information from identified public drinkers in the Footscray CBD was collected within the following domains: · Age, gender, employment and related demographics; · people’s lives - how they live, work, play and interact with one another on a day-today basis and culture; · their community (its cohesion, stability, character, services and facilities); · reasons for using public space; · the extent of the problem of being affected by alcohol and/or other drugs in public places; · links between public drinking / drug use and violence in the Footscray Business Centre and its immediate surrounds, and · ways of better supporting and engaging with individuals engaged in substance misuse and demonstrating problematic behaviour in public places. We observed public drinking in and around the Footscray CBD during the course of the research. While some of this drinking occurred within the exclusion zone, it was generally done discreetly. During the observation phase of the research we identified (and subsequently recruited) drinkers from three main social sets - drinkers who: · drank in Nicholson Street between Paisley and Irving Streets; · primarily drank in Railway Reserve; and · primarily used heroin but also consumed alcohol as they moved around the Footscray CBD. Across the three groups the majority of the sample was male, born in Australia, and self-identified as having Australian ethnicity. Most came from Footscray or its immediate surrounds and had been coming to Footscray for some years. Most of the sample reported coming to Footscray on a daily or near-daily basis. Some of the reasons given by the sample for visiting Footscray included: · social interaction to alleviate boredom and prevent loneliness; · the use of local social services (e.g. Centrelink) and businesses (e.g. cafes); · the use of local health services; · obtaining medications and management of chronic conditions; and · the purchase, or brokering of the purchase, of illicit drugs. The prominence of alcohol and drinking varied across the three social sets interviewed. While alcohol was central to the drinkers from Railway Reserve, with harmful drinking patterns reported, alcohol was an adjunct to the main activities of the other two groups. Similarly, while all groups experienced alcohol-caused harms, these were most frequently reported by the drinkers around Railway Reserve. Reported alcohol-caused violence was typically intragroup - generally oriented towards other members of each drinking group. In spite of reports of sporadic violence, the groups served significant social functions with reports of important shared experiences, trust and reciprocity evident amongst the primary drinkers. Nevertheless, these social connections were confined largely to the public sphere, with structural and personal reasons precluding invitations to one another’s homes or residences. Other public drinking settings such as hotels were generally avoided for a variety of reasons including cost, poor treatment by bar staff as well as the effect of the new smoking bans and preferences for outdoor settings. Most participants were aware of the alcohol exclusion zone, with around two-thirds reporting interactions with police about drinking in the exclusion zone - slightly less than the proportion found in previous research. Reported enforcement responses ranged from moving people on through to the issuing of fines. The effects of these fines, which may accumulate to significant amounts of money over time, on the lives of already - poor and marginalised people need to be considered in relation to the enforcement of the alcohol exclusion zone. The need for additional health and social services, or marketing of available services to the locations in which their drinking took place, was expressed by the drinkers around Railway Reserve. Further, both the observational component of the research and reports from drinkers suggested that the amenity in Railway Reserve could easily be improved through the: 1. installation of public toilets; 2. installation of public drinking fountains; and 3. maintenance of garbage disposal facilities. In general, the findings of this research are consistent with reports of local crime statistics in the year prior to the conduct of the research, which suggested falling rates of crime in Maribyrnong overall. Importantly, no incidents of violence or aggressive behaviours were seen or noted during the conduct of the research. Nevertheless, as indicated above, we have identified several ways of improving the response to public drinking in Maribyrnong. Details: Melbourne: Burnet Institute, Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, 2007. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2011 at: http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Files/BurnetInstituteReport-DrinkinginPublicSpaces.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Australia URL: http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Files/BurnetInstituteReport-DrinkinginPublicSpaces.pdf Shelf Number: 121652 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder (Australia)Disorderly ConductNuisance Behaviors and DisorderPublic SpaceSubstance Abuse |
Author: Clarke, L., Gilbertson, A., eds. Title: Addressing Crime and Disorder in Public Places Through Planning and Design Summary: Dealing with crime (including terrorism) and disorder in public places is high on the public’s agenda. However, consideration of the complex issues involved may only start when construction is complete and operation starts. At that point many issues will be considered by operators and facility managers/maintainers. If these issues are considered in the early design stage they can be incorporated into the design. This guide considers how the issues may be considered at the planning and design stages to assist a successful outcome in operation. The guide also provides easily accessed information about parties to be consulted and notes the complexity and interplay of the issues. Detailed information is provided about the issues and case study examples are included to demonstrate decision making in action. Details: London: CIRIA, 2011. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: CIRIA C710: Accessed September 23, 2011 at: http://www.ciria.org/service/Web_Site/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?Section=Web_Site&ContentID=20843 (summary only): full report: http://www.bcsc.org.uk/media/downloads/CIRIAC710-AddressingCrimeAndDisorder.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.ciria.org/service/Web_Site/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?Section=Web_Site&ContentID=20843 (summary only): full report: http://www.bcsc.org.uk/media/downloads/CIRIAC710-AddressingCrimeAndDisorder.pdf Shelf Number: 122885 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTDesign Against CrimePublic Space |
Author: Anderson, Jessica Title: Considering Local Context When Evaluating A Closed Circuit Television System in Public Spaces Summary: Closed circuit television‘s (CCTV) popularity as a solution to local crime problems continues to gain traction. Its broad community support and visibility as a tangible response to crime problems suggests that the demand for CCTV is unlikely to abate. However, many agencies have difficulty locating information on the practical considerations for implementing a CCTV system and only become aware of the real cost of CCTV after installing the system. Therefore, measures need to be taken to ensure knowledge of good practice in CCTV implementation is shared. In addition, agencies need to be aware of the different factors that can influence CCTV delivery. Such information could add further value by being considered when developing evaluations of CCTV. In this paper, a description is provided of the lessons learned by local agencies when implementing a CCTV system that was administered through a grants program. Such experiences, if adequately disseminated, can assist agencies to implement CCTV systems and assist in the development of evaluation strategies. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 430: Accessed October 31, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/3/6/C/%7B36CB7AC1-0AFD-4D0B-925D-F7D3D5D7A562%7Dtandi430.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/3/6/C/%7B36CB7AC1-0AFD-4D0B-925D-F7D3D5D7A562%7Dtandi430.pdf Shelf Number: 123180 Keywords: CCTVClosed Circuit TelevisionCrime PreventionPublic SpaceVideo Surveillance |
Author: Froundigoun, Liz Title: Tackling Youth Offending and Violence: Intensive Policing and/or Dispersal Orders Summary: This research for Strathclyde Police was supported by a small grant from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR). The research was requested by Strathclyde Police to examine two specific policing initiatives – The Enhanced Policing Plan and Dispersal Orders - for dealing with youth on-street disorder and violence in B Division; historically these neighbourhoods have been characterised by the endemic problem of youth on-street disorder, violence and gang activity. It set out specifically to examine if there was evidence of any long-term benefits from the Enhanced Policing Plan (EPP), an innovative partnership approach to policing in BD sub-division - Shettleston, Baillieston and Greater Easterhouse - which ran in the 6-month period from October, 2007 to February, 20081; and to examine the implementation and efficacy of Dispersal Orders in the neighbouring BA sub-division – Dennistoun, Parkhead and Bridgeton. The EPP was developed in accordance with ACPOS Public Reassurance Strategy and delivered in conjunction with Community Planning Limited (CPP) through a multi-agency approach2 following the ethos for the Community Planning and Community Regeneration Fund. It drew on the principles of the Glasgow City Centre Policing Plan, Operation Reclaim, Operation Phoenix, and Glasgow Anti-Social Behaviour Task Force where intensive policing and the delivery of diversionary activities, were found to have had a significant impact on the levels of reported crime, violence and gang activity. It was structured specifically to increase public reassurance through intensive policing by addressing on the one hand local concerns about youth and gang activity; and on the other the needs of these youths through the delivery of a combination of educational and diversionary activities. Dispersal Orders had been implemented in various areas of BA sub-division prior to the introduction of the EPP, around the same time as the EPP was running, and again during the period of this study, September 2009 – January 2010, to address alcohol-related on-street disorder and violence. Scottish Police Forces were given the power to introduce Dispersal Orders in the Anti-Social Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. These controversial orders (Crawford & Lister, 2007) confer on the police the discretion to disperse groups of 2 or more individuals whom they deem to be likely to cause anti-social behaviour. The perception on the part of the police service in Scotland is that, in comparison to England and Wales, the nature and activities of youth on-street disorder and gang membership in Scotland are based on ‘territorialism’, a distinction which is generally perceived as being the most significant characteristic, whereas the relationship with organised crime that is said to characterise the criminality of gang membership in other locations in the UK is thought to be less significant in these locations. Therefore, after the deployment of these two approaches aimed at encouraging desistence from criminality associated with gang membership and on-street youth disorder, it is important to re-examine the perceptions, concerns and needs of the local communities, particularly those of the young people, and the police on: the effects the initiatives have had for on-street disorder and violence, gang activity and territorialism; perceptions of policing; and young people’s perceptions of diversionary activities and local facilities available to them in the communities in which they live. The research accordingly aims to establish what can be learned from these two diverse policing approaches and to identify any changes: in crime levels during the period when Dispersal Orders were implemented; in crime levels since the end of the period of implementation of the EPP; in the views of the police, community planning partners, youth workers and young people about what it is like living in the East End of Glasgow; in the effect gang and violent behaviour has had/is having on their neighbourhood; in the community views and perceptions of the effectiveness of the EPP and Dispersal Orders in tackling these behaviours, and in increasing public reassurance within the area; in what youths identify they need to encourage them to make attitudinal changes in making life choices; and in the working partnerships of the CPP and the police. Details: Glasgow: Glasgow Caledonian University, 2010. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2011 at: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Youth_offending_2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Youth_offending_2010.pdf Shelf Number: 123313 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crimes, DisorderAntisocial Behavior (Scotland)Disorderly ConductGangsNuisance Behaviors and DisordersPolicing Public DisorderPublic Order ManagementPublic Space |
Author: England, Marcia Rae Title: Citizens on Patrol: Community Policing and the Territorialization of Public Space in Seattle, Washington Summary: This dissertation shows how organizations, including local government and police, and residents within Seattle, Washingtons East Precinct define and police the contours of community, neighborhoods and public space. Under the rubric of public safety, these players create territorial geographies that seek to include only those who fit the narrowly conceived idea of a neighbor. Territoriality is exercised against the social Other in an attempt to build a cohesive community while at the same time excluding those who are seen as different or as non-conformant to acceptable behaviors in the neighborhood. This research provides a framework through which to examine how community policing produces an urban citizen subject and an idea of who belongs in public space. This work also combines discourses of abjection and public space showing how the two are linked together to form a contingent citizenship. Contingent citizenship describes a particular relationship between geography and citizenship. As I frame it, contingent citizenship is a public citizenship where one must conform to a social norm and act in a prescribed, appropriate way in the public sphere or fear repercussions such as incarceration, public humiliation or barring from public parks. This dissertation, through a synthesis of the literatures on abjection, public space and social control, provides an empirical example of how community policing controls, regulates and/or expels those socially constructed as the Other in public space. This dissertation also brings a geographic lens to questions of abjection, public space and social control. This dissertation is a comprehensive survey and analysis of how discourses surrounding public space produce a space that is exclusionary of those who are not conceived as citizens by structures intact within the city. This research shows how not all citizens (in the legal sense) fit the socio-cultural model of citizenship. Such contingent citizens are subject to more surveillance and policing in public space. Additionally, this research contributes to growing literature regarding how abjection plays into representations and understandings of public space. Details: Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky, 2006. 244p. Source: Dissertation. Internet Resource: Accessed on January 22, 2012 at http://archive.uky.edu/handle/10225/313 Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://archive.uky.edu/handle/10225/313 Shelf Number: 123728 Keywords: Community Policing (Washington)Public SpaceSocial Control |
Author: Bray, Liz Title: Green Spaces...Safer Spaces: Anti-Social Behaviour in Green Spaces Summary: Crime, the fear of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in green spaces are some of the things that most worry people and put them off using and enjoying the spaces for relaxation and recreation. The activities of a few offenders affect almost everyone who uses or would like to use green space. Crimes and various types of anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, graffiti, under-age drinking, sex offences and assaults, do occur in parks and green spaces. People can see for themselves the effects of vandal damage, fly tipping, spray painting, discarded bottles, cans and glue containers, trampling and wheel ruts and they are put off using the areas most badly or most frequently abused. Some spaces have a worse reputation than others and they are often areas that are underused by the rest of the community. Tall, dense shrubbery and lack of lighting also attract undesirable activities. 1.2 The fear of crime is a very strong factor for many people and word travels fast when serious incidents happen. Crime, particularly serious crime, is extremely rare in parks and other public places. When it does happen it is usually very widely reported at the time, but most users of Newcastle’s green spaces will not experience crime. 1.3 During the Green Spaces Strategy preparation we carried out extensive consultation and the following came up as major concerns over and over again. (See Para 2.1) Details of the consultations are on the Parks and Green Space web page. In a 2002 survey the top bad points were as follows with crime and anti-social behaviour accounting for five out of the seven. 1. litter (32%) 2. dog fouling (26%) 3. not well maintained (19%) 4. unsafe (15%) 5. vandalism (11%) 6. insufficient green space (10%) 7. threatening youths (10%) In specific consultations with young people and disabled people, personal safety was among their top concerns. Details: Newcastle City, UK: Newcastle City Council, 2004. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2012 at: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/legacy/ns/leisure/greenspaces/Antisocialbehaviouringreenspaces.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/legacy/ns/leisure/greenspaces/Antisocialbehaviouringreenspaces.pdf Shelf Number: 126240 Keywords: Antisocial Behaviour (U.K.)Fear of CrimeGraffitiLitteringPublic SpaceVandalism |
Author: Sharpe Research Ltd. Title: Public Attitudes to the Deployment of Surveillance Techniques in Public Places: Qualitative Research Report Summary: The main aim of the research was to investigate informed public attitudes towards current and planned public surveillance activities, and establish the limits of public acceptability and confidence, to provide understanding of where the boundary might lie between personal privacy and society’s ability to intrude into an individual’s affairs. This involved investigation of the following: • levels of spontaneous knowledge and awareness about: - the extent and prevalence of CCTV and other surveillance technologies - the purposes for which video surveillance is deployed - which authorities and other organisations use video surveillance - how the recordings are used or processed - how long recordings are kept - who can see them, and in what circumstances - the effectiveness of video surveillance in preventing and/or detecting crime • sources of knowledge and awareness, including personal experience; • reactions to prompted information on - licensing/authorisation - covert vs. overt installations - new surveillance technologies - new ‘purposes’, such as road pricing - ‘sensitive’ personal data, in the data protection context • factors underlying public confidence in video surveillance; • the perceived applicability of the 8 data protection principles to the deployment and use of surveillance technology; • perceived risks of unlawful or criminal violations of privacy arising from video surveillance, looking both at likelihood and potential severity of consequences to the individual; • what rules ought to control the deployment and use of video surveillance in public places, and who should set and enforce those rules; • information needs – what members of the public want to know about video surveillance and its regulation. Details: London: Information Commissioner's Office, 2004. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 12, 2012 at: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/corporate/research_and_reports/public_attitudes_research.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/corporate/research_and_reports/public_attitudes_research.pdf Shelf Number: 126303 Keywords: Crime PreventionPublic AttitudesPublic OpinionPublic SpaceSurveillance Cameras (U.K.)Video Surveillance |
Author: Shehayeb, Dina Title: Planning and Designing Urban Space, Community and Crime Prevention: The Case of Arab Countries Summary: World statistics on safety and security show that the MENA region has one of the lowest crime rates in the World (UN-HABITAT, 2007). Homicide rates are associated with combinations of social, economic, cultural and political factors that are unique to localities. Even though underlying risk factors, such as poverty, unemployment, and political conflict prevail in several of the Arab Countries, homicide rates for selected global regions shows that the Arab Countries still have the lowest rates. At city level, large and rapidly growing cities in the Middle East report significantly lower crime rates than urban places elsewhere (UN-HABITAT, 2007). Based on Crime Trends Survey data, the Middle East is one of the regions with the lowest rates of robbery, with 3 and 2 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively (UNOCD, 2005). The relation of urban space, community and crime prevention has not been studied enough in the region. Place-based crime prevention and reduction theories of defensible space since Oscar Newman (1972) have originated in certain social and cultural contexts and have been often challenged (Kennedy & Silverman, 1985; Merry, 1981; Rohe & Burby, 1988). This earlier trend of physical determinism ignores the role of other variables such as socio-cultural homogeneity, income, teenager-to-adult ratio, places where crimes occurred, and type of crime; the impact of which on crime and fear of crime proved highly significant (Coleman, 1985; Coleman, 1988, pp. 161-170; Mawby, 1977; Van der Wurff, 1988; Schweiteer et al 1999). More recently crime prevention through environmental design – CPTED (Jeffrey, 1977) situational crime prevention (Clarke,1997) and environmental criminology have increasingly been supported by empirical research suggesting that interaction between the social and the built environment including the physical design and its management plays a role in facilitating or diminishing opportunities for crime and violence. While there is no way of establishing causality between physical design or management and crime, some research indicates that 10 - 15 % of crimes have environmental design and management components (Schneider and Kitchen, 2002, 2007). However, the relation between design, management and social aspects as factors affecting crime lacks clarification. Another problem is the limited scope of intervention that this literature has targeted. Empirical research has focused on certain planning and design elements and ignored others. For example, lighting, landscape, and activity scheduling in urban space (UN-HABITAT, 2007) have been focused upon, but not land use planning, street pattern and conditions of the edge of urban space, all of which have proved to play a major role in influencing use and perceptions within urban space (Shehayeb et al., 2003; Shehayeb, 1995). The lack of integration of crime prevention strategies within comprehensive city planning practices has been emphasized as a factor in facilitating opportunities for urban crime (UN-HABITAT, 2007). Recent directions in crime prevention have addressed physical planning from a rather limited perspective; with an emphasis on more effective policing and control strategies such as video surveillance (UN-HABITAT, 2009). For example, they focus on elements such as street widening that can open up previously impenetrable urban areas to police and emergency service vehicles, or the creation of new and ‘better’ housing which would improve manifest living conditions and public control of urban spaces. Such guidelines may lead to reverse outcomes; increased policing maybe at the cost of community building and territorial claim, both of which are factors that have shown effectiveness in promoting safety and security, in some contexts better than policing! Mediating factors such as perceptions of safety, sense of community, and appropriation of space, highly practiced in many cities of the Arab World, should be explained to reveal the nature of the relation between urban space and crime. The role of culture as a modifier of both behavior in, and meaning of, the built environment should be understood so as to avoid making the mistake of formulating prescriptive guidelines and design recipes suitable in some socio-cultural contexts but not in others. This paper aims at exposing some wide-spread misconceptions about the relation between physical space and crime, explaining the role of mediating factors so as to better generalize conclusions to different contexts, and finally, to show how these factors are at play in the context of Egypt as a case study representing the Arab Countries. Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation (GCST), 2010. 21p. Source: GCST Policy Brief Series No. 16: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at http://s3.amazonaws.com/zanran_storage/www.securitytransformation.org/ContentPages/2467318928.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://s3.amazonaws.com/zanran_storage/www.securitytransformation.org/ContentPages/2467318928.pdf Shelf Number: 126643 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTDesign Against Crime (Arab Countries)Public SpaceSituational Crime PreventionUrban Areas |
Author: Brooke, Michael Title: Design and Access Statements: How to Use Them to Prevent Crime Summary: One of the biggest problems that the field of planning for crime prevention has faced is the fact that, too often, crime prevention when it is considered at all in the design process is merely an afterthought. The consequence of this, very frequently, is that the scope for reducing the opportunity for crime to be committed via the design process becomes limited. Experience suggests that, once design ideas get established, developers and their agents are often unwilling to change them very significantly to incorporate something that hasn’t been thought about properly up to that point, and of course to incur the extra costs associated with undertaking further design work. And the consequence of this is that, unfortunately, the opportunity to incorporate crime prevention concerns into a development layout has often not been taken as fully as it could have been. But it doesn’t need to be like this, and Design and Access Statements provide an opportunity for the development community to face this issue more effectively than has often been the case to date. The key to this is thinking about the kinds of crimes that the type of development being proposed is likely to be subject to right at the start of the development process (which can be established from crime statistics and from police advice), and then creating strategies to reduce the likelihood of these crimes occurring as an integral part of initial design thinking about the project rather than as a later consideration. This guide gives lots of helpful advice about the kinds of things that developers and their agents need to think about when tackling the issue of planning for crime prevention in this manner. Adopting this approach in turn should mean that the requirements of paragraph 132 of Communities and Local Government’s publication ‘Guidance on Information on Requirements and Validation’ (March 2010) can readily be met when preparing a Design and Access Statement. Details: London: ACPO Secured by Design, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at http://www.securedbydesign.com/pdfs/Design%20and%20Access%20Statements%20-%20How%20to%20use%20them.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.securedbydesign.com/pdfs/Design%20and%20Access%20Statements%20-%20How%20to%20use%20them.pdf Shelf Number: 126646 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTDesign Against Crime (U.K.)Public Space |
Author: Morgan, Anthony Title: Effective Crime Prevention Interventions for Implementation by Local Government Summary: Councils are responsible for a range of services related to crime prevention, including managing public space and building design, providing a range of community services and developing policies that affect local businesses. More recently, there has been increasing pressure on local government to contribute to the delivery of a variety of social services and to engage in social planning. This comprehensive report is a collaboration between the Crime Prevention Division of the NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice, and the AIC. It is a large-scale systematic review of interventions to prevent a number of crime types identified as priority areas for local councils in New South Wales. Offences such as non-domestic violence related assault; break and enter; car theft; retail theft and malicious damage were reviewed against specific crime prevention methods. The AIC provided the NSW CPD with a summary of the evidence in support of interventions for each priority crime type. A number of preferred intervention types were selected that could be implemented by local councils, with the support of the CPD, in areas with a significant crime problem. This study has led to a series of handbooks to assist local government to select, adapt and implement the preferred interventions. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2012. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Research and Public policy Series 120: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/rpp/100-120/rpp120.html Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/rpp/100-120/rpp120.html Shelf Number: 127285 Keywords: Crime Prevention (Australia)Malicious DamageMotor-Vehicle TheftPublic SpaceResidential BurglarySituational Crime PreventionStealingTheftVandalism |
Author: ActionAid Title: Women and the City II: Combating Violence Against Women and Girls in Urban Public Spaces - The Role of Public Services Summary: It is now well recognized that women and girls around the world face violence, sexual harassment and abuse in many of the spaces that they inhabit – their homes, workplaces, educational institutes, on streets and on public transport. Women’s fear of violence restricts their movement, limiting their use of public spaces, their movement from their homes and as a result, their full enjoyment of a range of human rights. ActionAid is working in different countries to make cities safe for women and girls through its Safe Cities Initiative.This initiative is founded on the concept of right to the city. The right to the city is the right of all city inhabitants, especially poor people, to have equitable access to all that a city has to offer and also to have the right to change their city in ways that they see fit. It entails: Freedom from violence and harassment, • including the fear of violence on the streets; Safe public spaces where women and girls • can move freely, without fear of assault; Access to water and sanitation, electricity, • transportation and other public amenities at residences and in public locations to reduce the risks of violence; Freedom from sexual harassment and abuse • in the workplace; Gender sensitive policing mechanisms for • reporting violence and obtaining redress, such as anti-violence centres/shelters; and Systems and structures for women and girls • to enjoy social, economic, cultural and political participation. This study, entitled Women and the city II: combating violence against women and girls in urban public spaces- the role of public services, was initiated to deepen our understanding about the links between violence against women and urban public services, to build evidence, to get communities as well as duty bearers to engage in the process and to strengthen our ability to work with women in these communities to seek change. Conducted in Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia and Nepal, this study comes at a time of significant global change. In 2008, the world reached a momentous milestone: for the first time in history, more than half of its human population – 3.3 billion people – lived in urban areas. By 2010, the global urban population outnumbered the rural population with 3.56 billion (51.5% of the global population) living in urban areas. This report is envisaged as a knowledge building and advocacy tool. Our expected audience includes local municipalities and community leaders, law enforcement, urban planners, non-governmental organisations, feminist movements, the safe cities movement in particular, policymakers and donors at the national and international levels. The report is divided into five sections, namely, an introduction that provides an overview of the right to the city and the global history of safe cities work; an outline of the methodology adopted for this study; country contexts for each of the six countries; key findings; and finally, recommendations. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: ActionAid, 2013. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 1, 2013 at: http://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/women_and_the_city_ii_1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/women_and_the_city_ii_1.pdf Shelf Number: 127741 Keywords: Fear of CrimeFemale VictimsPublic SpaceUrban CrimeUrban DesignViolence Against WomenViolent Crime |
Author: Jackson, Emily Lindsay Title: Broadening National Security and Protecting Crowded Places - Performing the United Kingdom's War on Terror, 2007-2010 Summary: This thesis critically interrogates the spatial politics of two ‘fronts’ of the UK’s on-going war on terror between 2007-2010: first, broadening national security, the extension of national security into non-traditional social and economic domains; and second, security in ‘crowded places’, counter-terror regimes in the UK’s public spaces. It responds to the neglect within security studies of the spatial politics of this conflict by considering the spatial performativities enabling these two contemporaneous iterations of national security. The first part applies critical geopolitics and biopolitics frameworks to a case study of the new National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom. It argues that UK national security reiterates the ‘interconnecting’ performativities of neoliberal norms as a ‘broadening’ understanding of national security which licenses a ‘broadening’ register of coercive policy responses. The second part carries out an exploratory case study of one such coercive policy response: security at the ‘crowded place’ of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. It identifies crowded places security as reliant on practices of emptying out and ‘zero-ing’ space, pre-emptive 'zero tolerance' risk imaginaries, and extensive surveillance – both electronic and ‘natural’. In other words, counter-terrorism is becoming increasingly important in shaping daily life in the UK through a diverse range of spatial control practices. The thesis uses an innovative methodological and conceptual strategy combining Foucauldian discourse analysis of security policies, participant observation of situated security practices, with theoretical frameworks from political geography, international relations and visual culture. It also develops Judith Butler’s theory of performativity as a conceptual tool to critique the materialisation of contemporary spaces of security and counter-terrorism, from the meta-imaginative geographies of national security to the micro-spaces of counter-terrorism in UK public space. In sum, this thesis points towards new avenues for understanding the on-going encroachment of the war on terror into everyday spaces in the UK Details: Durham, UK: Durham University, Department of Geography, 2012. 265p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 4, 2013 at: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3498/1/Emily_Lindsay_Jackson_PhD.pdf?DDD14+ Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3498/1/Emily_Lindsay_Jackson_PhD.pdf?DDD14+ Shelf Number: 128666 Keywords: Counter-TerrorismCrowd ControlNational SecurityPublic Order ManagementPublic SpaceTerrorism (U.K.) |
Author: Rodriguez, Alfredo Title: Understanding the Tipping Point of Urban Conflict: The Case of Santiago, Chile Summary: This working paper presents the results of the research project on Understanding the tipping point of urban conflict: violence, cities and poverty reduction in the developing world, undertaken in Santiago, Chile. The paper consists of two sections: the city profile and the sub-city study. The city profile uses secondary sources and is structured in two chapters. Chapter 1 presents changes in the city’s structure that have developed over the last 40 years, identifying the tipping points that have marked the process of neoliberal urban development. Chapter 2 establishes what is understood by ‘violence’ and offers an analysis of the types and categories of urban violence in Santiago. The sub-city study, Chapter 3, is presented in the second section of this working paper. This chapter describes results of the Participatory Violence Appraisal methodology applied in three urban areas of Santiago. The sub-city study identifies violence-related problems that affect women and men both in public places and in the home, tipping points and violence chains at the sub-city level, as well as institutions linked to violence in the three areas. The sub-city study highlighted the fact that all three city areas evidence manifestations of direct violence that are economic, socio-economic and social in nature. Participants reported the existence of violence against people as well as violence against property. However, when asked about the causes of these violence-related problems, all of them ventured explanations revealing the existence of a much deeper and widespread problem rooted in structural violence and legitimated by cultural violence. This reality is clearly demonstrated by the three case studies. Details: Manchester, UK: Urban Tipping Point, University of Manchester, 2012. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper # 3: Accessed July 10, 2013 at: http://www.urbantippingpoint.org/documents/Working%20Papers/WP3_Santiago.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Chile URL: http://www.urbantippingpoint.org/documents/Working%20Papers/WP3_Santiago.pdf Shelf Number: 129348 Keywords: PovertyPublic SpaceUrban CrimeViolenceViolent Crime (Chile) |
Author: Nestel, Thomas J., III Title: Using Surveillance Camera Systems to Monitor Public Domains: Can Abuse Be Prevented? Summary: After mainland United States suffered a violent attack upon its citizenry, Homeland Security professionals recognized the need to protect a growing number of critical infrastructure locations. Millions of dollars earmarked for emergency management programs were funneled into technologies that enabled public safety to "do more with less." Closed circuit television surveillance systems rocketed to the forefront as the must-have technology. Citizens of the United States became subject to video surveillance during their normal daily routines. This thesis examines the management of CCTV systems used by municipal police departments and analyzes the policies created to control the technology and prevent abuse. Using U.S. Census Bureau data, the police departments responsible for protecting the 50 largest cities were contacted and surveyed. The initial step determined what jurisdictions utilized surveillance cameras to monitor public domains. The follow-up steps gathered information about the systems being used; the management decisions regarding where to place the cameras; the training for its operators; supervision standards; the written policies regulating the department's program; analyzing those directives; and finally, presenting step-by-step recommendations for implementing CCTV surveillance systems for Homeland Security use. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2006. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 6, 2013 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=461595 Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=461595 Shelf Number: 131593 Keywords: CCTVClosed-Circuit Television (U.S.)Crime PreventionPublic SpaceVideo Surveillance |
Author: Stop Street Harassment Title: Unsafe and Harassed in Public Spaces: A National Street Harassment Report Summary: From "hey baby" to "stupid fag," from flashing to groping, sexual harassment in public spaces, or "street harassment," is a problem many people experience, some with profound consequences. Since 2008, Stop Street Harassment (SSH) has collected thousands of street harassment stories. This groundbreaking study confirms what the stories suggest: Across all age, races, income levels, sexual orientations, and geographic locations, most women in the United States experience street harassment. Some men, especially men who identify as gay, bisexual, queer, or transgender, do as well. Methodology This report presents the findings of a 2,000-person, nationally representative survey (approximately 1,000 women and 1,000 men, ages 18 and up). GfK, a top surveying firm, conducted the Internet-based survey in February and March 2014. Additionally, SSH conducted 10 focus groups across the nation from August 2012 to March 2014. What is street harassment? "Street harassment" describes unwanted interactions in public spaces between strangers that are motivated by a person's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, or gender expression and make the harassee feel annoyed, angry, humiliated, or scared. Street harassment can take place on the streets, in stores, on public transportation, in parks, and at beaches. It ranges from verbal harassment to flashing, following, groping, and rape. It differs from issues like sexual harassment in school and the workplace or dating or domestic violence because it happens between strangers in a public place, which at present means there is less legal recourse. Why does this issue matter? Street harassment is a human rights violation and a form of gender violence. It causes many harassed persons, especially women, to feel less safe in public places and limit their time there. It can also cause people emotional and psychological harm. Everyone deserves to be safe and free from harassment as they go about their day. Details: Reston, VA: Stop Street Harassment, 2014. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2014 at: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2014-National-SSH-Street-Harassment-Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2014-National-SSH-Street-Harassment-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 132724 Keywords: Bias-Related CrimesFear of CrimeGenderHate CrimeHuman Rights AbusesPublic SpaceSexual Harassment |
Author: Pennay, Amy Title: Prohibiting public drinking in an urban area: Determining the impacts on police, the community and marginalised groups Summary: Public drinking laws, which are the mandate of local councils in some jurisdictions such as Victoria (but state/territory legislation in others), have proliferated across urban centres in Australia over the past 15 years without any evidence of their effectiveness. Previous evaluations of public drinking laws have shown that they often result in negative impacts to marginalised groups and lead to displacement, but also improve perceptions of safety among the community. Previous evaluations have shown little or no evidence that public drinking bans reduce congregations of drinkers or reduce alcohol-related crime or harm. The purpose of this project was to build on previous work and evaluate public drinking laws in three local government areas (LGAs) in Melbourne where public drinking remains a contentious issue: the City of Maribyrnong, the City of Darebin and the City of Yarra. The objectives of this project were threefold: - to evaluate the implementation of the prohibition of public drinking; - to evaluate the effectiveness of the prohibition of public drinking; and - to evaluate the impact of the prohibition of public drinking across three distinct LGAs in Melbourne. This mixed-methods evaluation involved seven key data collection components: - a media analysis of public drinking and public drinking bans; - sessions of daytime and night-time observation; - in-depth interviews with drinkers; - in-depth interviews with police, traders and other stakeholders; - a household survey mailed to residents; - focus groups with residents; and - analysis of ambulance and police data. Details: Canberra: National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, 2014. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series No. 49: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.ndlerf.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/monographs/monograph49.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ndlerf.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/monographs/monograph49.pdf Shelf Number: 133006 Keywords: Alcohol EnforcementAlcohol Related Crime, Disorder (Australia)Nuisance Behaviors and DisordersPublic SpaceUrban Areas |
Author: Keizer, Kees Title: The Importance of Demonstratively Restoring Order Summary: Contrary to what is often assumed, order is not the strongest context for encouraging normative behavior. The strongest context effect on normative behavior comes from cues that clearly convey other people's respect for norms. Ironically, this show of respect necessitates some contrasting disrespect that is being restored. Using civic virtues (such as helping behavior) as a prototype of normative behavior, the three field experiments described in this paper reveal the impact of normative cues on civic virtues. Results show that the strongest effect on making people follow prosocial norms in public places emanates from seeing order being restored, rather than just order being present. The robust and surprisingly large effects show that observing other people's respect for one particular norm (as evidenced in their restoring physical order) makes it more likely that the onlooker follows other norms as well. This implies that prosocial behavior has the highest chance of spreading when people observe order being restored. There are clear policy implications: create low cost ''normative respect cues'' wherever it is desirable to increase conformity to norms. Details: PLoS ONE 8(6): e65137. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2014 at: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065137&representation=PDF Year: 2013 Country: Netherlands URL: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065137&representation=PDF Shelf Number: 134071 Keywords: LitteringNuisance Behaviors and DisordersPhysical DisorderPublic Space |
Author: Lurie, Kaya Title: Discrimination at the Margins: The Intersectionality of Homelessness & Other Marginalized Groups Summary: This brief addresses the intersectionality of homelessness and other marginalized groups. It examines six marginalized groups: racial minorities, women, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ), individuals with a mental disability, incarcerated individuals, and veterans. The brief presents national and Washington State statistics to show how these six marginalized groups are represented in the homeless population compared to the general population. Moreover, it presents some of the causes of homelessness for these marginalized groups. This policy brief is particularly important to homeless rights advocacy because it humanizes the homeless population by outlining who is homeless and why. Categorizing a diverse group of people as "homeless" blanches this diversity by presenting these people as a homogenous group. Homogenizing the people who are homeless facilitates their dehumanization, erasing not only their diverse identities, but also obscuring the diverse causes of their homelessness. Homogenization also encourages erroneous negative stereotypes, assumptions, and prejudices. This brief unveils the diverse identities and causes of homelessness. This unveiling reveals that marginalized groups are disproportionately represented in the homeless population, and are therefore, disproportionately targeted by the ordinances that criminalize homelessness. Moreover, these criminalization laws are evidence of systemic and insidious discrimination of many marginalized groups. Because society has already rejected laws that discriminatorily target many of these same marginalized groups, the results of this study should compel society to re-examine the impact of laws that criminalize homelessness. Ultimately, this brief argues that laws that criminalize homelessness should be rejected because they are discriminatory. Details: Seattle, WA: Seattle University School of Law, Homeless Rights Advocacy Project, 2015. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2602532 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2602532 Shelf Number: 135711 Keywords: CriminalizationDiscriminationHomeless PersonsHomelessnessPovertyPublic Space |
Author: Ortiz, Javier Title: The Wrong Side of History: A Comparison of Modern and Historical Criminalization Laws Summary: Like many other cities throughout the country, Washington's homeless population is being targeted through ordinances infused with a historical spirit of control and discrimination. The policy brief looks at the history of criminalization laws by focusing on historical criminalization laws and how they paved a way for current anti-homeless ordinances. The policy brief reveals that the spirit of historical criminalization laws is present in anti-homeless ordinances today. Since these historical laws have been repealed and overturned, so should anti-homeless ordinances that share the same spirit of control, exclusion, and discrimination. The brief focuses on five historical laws and modern anti-homeless ordinances through case studies: Vagrancy; Anti-Okie, Jim Crow, Ugly, and Sundown Town laws. Each section discusses the impetus for each law and the effect it had on targeted individuals. Next, the brief examines specific language from these laws and how they were applied - and ultimately, how they were overturned by judges, legislatures, and public opinion. The brief then shifts focus to three case studies of modern anti-homeless ordinances. This comparison reveals that modern anti-homeless ordinances share much of the same form, phrasing, and function as historical laws that banned African-Americans from attending public school with white Americans; that banned Midwesterners from entering Western states during the Great Depression; and that banned people with physical disabilities from residing in certain cities. And yet, anti-homeless ordinances are just contemporary expressions of the same impulse to marginalize already marginalized people. Ultimately, this brief shows that modern anti-homeless ordinances are just historically infamous laws in a new guise. Details: Seattle, WA: Seattle University School of Law, 2015. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2602533 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2602533 Shelf Number: 135783 Keywords: CriminalizationHomeless PersonsHomelessnessPovertyPublic Space |
Author: Ahmed, Noman Title: Public and private control and contestation of public space amid violent conflict in Karachi Summary: Few cities in South Asia have been affected by violence more than Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and economic centre. This working paper examines the impacts of the city's declining security situation on the control and contestation of public space. It focuses specifically on the efforts of public and private actors to protect themselves through the widespread use of physical barriers as a form of conflict infrastructure. To help provide a way forward, recommendations are presented for planning and managing barriers more effectively and equitably, and for supporting alternative means of security for the poorest and most insecure groups. Particular attention is paid to the city's ethnic and religious/sectarian politics and the limited capacity of the authorities, and their difficulties in maintaining neutrality in attempting to intervene. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 2015. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: IIED Working Paper: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10752IIED.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan URL: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10752IIED.pdf Shelf Number: 137701 Keywords: Public SafetyPublic SpaceUrban AreasUrban CrimeViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Vigneswaran, Darshan Title: Being like a state: policing space in Johannesburg Summary: This paper looks at the legacies of segregation in Africa. The study is specifically interested in the aftermath of Apartheid, in Johannesburg South Africa. Now that the Apartheid plans and laws are on the scrapheap, a series of leftovers, hangovers and attenuated dynamics continue to help create urban divides across the city. These are not strict, marked, formal boundaries, but 'frontiers': semi-permeable, implicit zones which define where the various racial and class groups in Johannesburg go, and clarify how they are treated when they do. In order to understand the emergence of new urban frontiers, I engage with James Scott's (1998) theory of spatial control and resistance in development planning outlined in 'Seeing Like a State'. I explore how individual metis is implicated in the reconstruction of authoritarian, or at the very least oppressive and non-democratic forms of social and political space in Johannesburg. I argue that the high modernist system of Apartheid was not simply embedded in plans and laws, but in the people who were responsible for its implementation and the people who were subject to the laws. I show how this institutional memory influences their responses to human mobility across the urban landscape. Details: Amsterdam: Gottingen: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: MMG working paper 10-15: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/wp/WP_10-15_Vigneswaran_Policing-Space.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/wp/WP_10-15_Vigneswaran_Policing-Space.pdf Shelf Number: 137704 Keywords: Public SpaceUrban AreasUrban Areas and Crime |
Author: MacDonald, Adrienne A. Title: The Conditions of Area Restrictions in Canadian Cities: Street Sex Work and Access to Public Space Summary: "Area restriction" is the umbrella term used for this thesis to consider geography-based, individually- assigned orders issued by criminal justice agents to remove and restrict targets from particular city spaces. This research focuses on 13 Canadian cities that use arrest-and-release area restriction strategies to managing street sex work(ers). Despite heavy criticism for their punitive nature, area restrictions have received little academic attention. This project takes an exploratory and descriptive approach to the issue in order to develop a platform for future research. Using qualitative, non-experimental methods it also critically analyzes the implementation, logic and reported impacts of the strategies while drawing implications for how area restrictions relate to citizenship statuses of sex workers by mapping exclusions onto the city. Multiple data sources were included but the most significant and compelling information comes from interviews with police officers and community agency workers. Findings suggest that area restriction strategies contribute to substantial social divides between sex workers and other community members, but also between sex workers and important services, resources and their community. At the same time, the strategy is reported as a "temporary relief" measure that is ineffective at lessening sex trade activity and often leads to displacement and dispersal of sex work(ers). However, collaborative efforts in some cities show promise for achieving goals of 'helping sex workers off the street.' Realistic recommendations for area restriction strategies are made that lead to more inclusive approaches that are considerate of needs and concerns of all interest groups linked to the "prostitution problem." Details: Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 2012. 319p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/23352 Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/23352 Shelf Number: 145395 Keywords: ProstitutesProstitutionPublic SpaceSex Workers |
Author: Shah, Mubarak Title: Studying the Impact of Video Analytics for Pre, Live and Post Event Analysis on Outcomes of Criminal Justice Summary: This project aimed to develop and study the effect of computer analytics for public space surveillance camera systems. Videos from surveillance cameras have the ability to not only aid in post-event investigations but also to improve intervention in live criminal incidents by flagging them as they occur. However, when left unmonitored or poorly integrated into police departments, surveillance cameras often become useless. Currently, the number of surveillance cameras in the U.S. is increasing rapidly, with human monitoring capability unable to keep pace. In this project, we developed computer vision analytics for large surveillance camera networks and installed them into a Public Safety Visual Analytics Workstation (PSVAW) operating at the Orlando, Florida police department (OPD). In this report, we cover the tasks in four areas performed during the two and a half years (January 2016 - June 2018). First, we have developed and tested algorithms at the University of Central Florida's Center for Research in Computer Vision (CRCV) and Columbia University's Digital Video and Multimedia (DVMM) Lab. Algorithms related to (1) action and event detection in videos, (2) video anomaly detection, (3) video summarization, (4) object and attribute retrieval, and (5) hashing for efficient information retrieval. Second, we developed a computer vision system GUI that incorporates a set of computer vision modules for the Public Safety Visual Analytics Workstation. Specifically, four computer vision modules were integrated into the system including anomaly detection, face attribute prediction, body attribute prediction, and action detection. Third, we have transferred equipment necessary purchased to employ the PSVAW to the Orlando Police Department. Fourth, we report the current status of the field placement collaboration in the Orlando Police Department. The final report is comprised of five sections. Descriptions of the underlying logic for the developed computer vision algorithms and the results of their evaluations against standard computer vision science criteria are reported in section 1. The Public Safety Visual Analytics workstation components and GUI interface is described in section 2. Descriptions of the PSVAW related equipment transferred to the Orlando Police Department are provided in section 3. The field placement is discussed in section 4 and presentations and publications associated with the grant are listed in section 5. Details: Orlando, FL: Center for Research in Computer Vision, University of Central Florida, 2018. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2018 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/252266.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/252266.pdf Shelf Number: 153408 Keywords: Public Safety Public SpaceSurveillance Cameras Video Surveillance |
Author: Robinson, Tony Title: No Right to Rest: Criminalizing Homelessness in Colorado Summary: In Denver, it is illegal for homeless residents to sleep or sit on downtown sidewalks, or to use any form of shelter from the cold or sun other than their clothing. In Boulder, city officials have put homeless people on trial for using a backpack pillow as a form of "shelter," since it is used to keep one's head from touching the ground. In Grand Junction, officials have locked public bathrooms and shut down water fountains in downtown parks so as to discourage homeless people from coming to the area. In Durango, a peaceful street guitar player was ticketed due to having his guitar case open to accept donations. All across Colorado, jurisdictions are increasingly treating homelessness as a criminal condition, and are illegalizing the activities of homeless people in public spaces. Admittedly, Colorado cities are facing a profound and growing challenge of homeless people struggling to survive in public places. As poverty levels remain high, low-income housing units disappear, and housing prices rise, homeless remains a tremendous problem across the state. In most official studies of housing markets, local officials recognize that there is inadequate low-income housing stock, and that thousands of people across the state, every night, have little choice but to sleep on the streets, in cars, or in parks. But even while recognizing that thousands of Colorado residents have no choice but to live in public places, Colorado officials are increasingly making it illegal to do so. All across the state, cites are declaring that people without homes have no right to rest within their borders, and are mobilizing substantial police resources to enforce those laws. This study examines the consequences of criminalizing homelessness in Colorado, from the point of view of homeless people themselves. The study reports on a poll of 441 homeless individuals from cross Colorado regarding their interactions with police and private security forces and reports on how criminalization is undermining the quality of life for homeless people, violating constitutional and human rights, costing localities millions in enforcement dollars, and increasing the likelihood that people will remain homeless. Details: Denver: University of Colorado Denver, 2015. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2019 at: https://www.cpr.org/sites/default/files/homelessness-study.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.cpr.org/sites/default/files/homelessness-study.pdf Shelf Number: 155514 Keywords: Criminalizing Homelessness Homeless Persons Homelessness Public Space |