Corruption and control: A corruption reduction approach

Purpose - Corruption is a significant financial crime which is estimated by the World Economic Forum to cost about 5 per cent of global GDP or $2.6 trillion dollars. Explanations of corruption, like explanations of crime, tend to focus on the individual

The war in Ukraine and associated risks of human trafficking and exploitation: Insights from an evidence-gathering roundtable

On 24 February 2022 the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It marked a major escalation in the conflict in Ukraine’s Donbas region that has been ongoing since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Many millions of people have been displaced both within Ukraine and beyond its borders. Faced with one of the fastest growing refugee situations in recent history, countries across Europe and beyond have taken decisive action to support people fleeing this conflict. In addition to foreign policy responses, such as coordinated international sanctions on Russia, military support and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, both state and non-state actors are increasingly turning their minds to how to prevent this clear humanitarian crisis from turning into a human trafficking crisis

War, Displacement, and Human Trafficking and Exploitation: Findings from an evidence-gathering Roundtable in Response to the War in Ukraine

Millions of people have been displaced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite increasing concerns about the associated risks of human trafficking and exploitation, evidence remains sparse. To address this gap, and explore relevant experiences and perspectives, we co-convened an international online roundtable together with the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The roundtable addressed emergent issues, key concerns and recommendations, with a particular focus on the UK’s response to people fleeing Ukraine. Over one hundred people from various professional backgrounds including healthcare, lawyers, charities, law enforcement, policy makers and academics participated. Qualitative thematic analysis identified five major themes: 1) conflict can create and compound opportunities for trafficking and exploitation; 2) the UK’s visa-based response to Ukrainian refugees lacks clarity, resourcing and accountability; 3) information gaps and overloads, both for people seeking sanctuary and those supporting them, can exacerbate risks of trafficking and exploitation; 4) insecurity, fear and the broader political climate around immigration and asylum create challenging conditions to respond; and 5) longer-term strategic planning around displaced Ukrainians is vital but appears lacking. Here, we discuss the key findings from the roundtable, situating them within the broader literature and reflecting critically on their implications for evidence-gathering, research, policy and practice

Deterrence and Rational Choice Theory

Simply put, rational choice theory assumes that when faced with a set of alternatives, individuals will prefer that which is expected to produce the most favorable outcome. Aspects of rational choice can be found in numerous criminological perspectives. In this entry we explore the relationship between rational choice theory and deterrence. Two ways in which rational choice theory has been applied in the service of deterrence are considered. First, deterrence at a macro-level via the apparatus of the criminal justice system and the imposition of formal sanctions is examined. Second, deterrence at the micro-level through the manipulation of the immediate environment in ways that influence the decision making of prospective offenders is examined

Evaluation evidence for evidence-based policing: Randomistas and realists

In many countries, evidence-based policing is on the rise. The core idea is simple and largely uncontroversial: that police decisions should combine professional judgement with the best available research evidence. Debate arises over what constitutes ‘best’ evidence in the context of policing. For the purposes of this chapter, we characterise this debate as being between two schools: the randomistas, who advocate the use of randomised controlled trials (or their nearest equivalent) as the gold standard research evidence and the realists, a term derived from realist evaluation, who entertain a broader range of evidence types so long as it speaks to testable theories about what works, for whom, in what circumstances and how. In this chapter we critically discuss, compare and contrast these two perspectives, and consider their roles in advancing evidence-based policing. We illustrate the affinities and differences between these two perspectives by way of a case study on hot spots policing

Towards a theory of tagging in retail environments

In this chapter we develop a theory of security tagging. We draw chiefly on the results of a recent systematic review of the tagging literature, supplemented with evidence from other germane areas of crime prevention. Our aim is to construct a theory that applies across varying retail settings and which can therefore be drawn on to improve decisions on the appropriateness of tagging in specific contexts

Do increases in the price of fuel increase levels of fuel theft? Evidence from England and Wales

Fuel prices have increased sharply over the past year. In this study we test the hypothesis that increases in the price of fuel are associated with increases in motorists filling their fuel tank and driving off without paying. We use weekly crime data from six police forces in England and Wales for the period January 2018 to July 2022, combined with regional data on the number of fuel sales and average fuel prices. Our results demonstrate an overall weak price-theft relationship for the 238 week study period, less so than in previous studies. However, we find strong evidence that the recent spike in fuel prices was associated with elevated levels of fuel theft. The implications of our findings for future research and crime prevention are discussed

Police education and democratic policing in Taiwan: a longitudinal quasi-experimental study of the effects of selection and police socialisation on human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of selection and group socialisation on support of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice in police officers in Taiwan. METHODS: We used a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to track three cohorts of police officers (n = 585) and a comparison group of criminology undergraduates (n = 43). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in measures of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice between new police recruits and the control group. However, time in police education was associated with a statistically significant reduction in police officer support of human rights, moral reasoning and an increase in prejudice. In the control group, the reverse was true. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to police education in Taiwan resulted in police officers being significantly more prejudiced and significantly less adherent to the principles of human rights and moral reasoning. These results appear to be attributable to police socialisation rather than selection effects

Problem solving violent crime: a guide for analysts

This guide is about problem solving and the analysis of serious violence. It aims to: describe a range of practical tools and techniques that you can use to help better understand and respond to problems of violence cover concepts and theories which have proven useful when applying a problem solving approach to violence reduction. This guide is written primarily for analysts but should be relevant to anyone with an interest in, or responsibilities for reducing violent crime