Direct and Indirect Situational Crime Prevention: Using the COSTS Criteria to Improve Program Design

• In Event: Communities and Place: How Environments Shape Criminal Opportunities and Prevention Strategies

Abstract

Situational crime prevention (SCP) is an evidence-based strategy to reduce crime. However, it is not always clear how practitioners should apply SCP. Differences in application of the same technique can determine whether a program will effectively reduce crime. We argue that one reason for these issues is that there are direct and indirect applications of SCP. We propose the COSTS criteria, derived from Ronald Clarke’s work, that specify each of the principles of a SCP program. A direct SCP program will: be crime-specific, be viewed from the offender’s perspective, involve situation modification to reduce crime opportunities, and be applied close in time and space to the crime event. When a program does not meet some of the COSTS criteria, it is using indirect situational crime prevention. Using examples from the literature we show how modifying an SCP program to fit the COSTS criteria will turn the program from indirect SCP to direct SCP. We argue that direct SCP programs are more likely to reduce crime than indirect SCP programs. We conclude with a discussion of implications for evaluation and policy.

Authors

• Shannon J. Linning, Simon Fraser University

• Jen-Li Shen, Simon Fraser University