CRIME SCIENCE 101
Crime Science is the scientific study of crime with a clear goal: to reduce crime and improve public safety through practical, evidence-based approaches. Unlike traditional criminology, which often focuses on theoretical explanations of criminal behaviour, crime science is problem-oriented, multi-disciplinary, and solution-driven.
At its core, crime science applies rigorous scientific methods, including data analysis, behavioural research, technological tools, and environmental design, to understand how crimes occur and how they can be prevented. It focuses on questions such as: Who commits crimes? Where and when do crimes happen? What situational factors allow them to happen? And most importantly, what can be done to stop them?
Crime science emerged from the need to move beyond ideological or purely legalistic approaches and embrace empirical strategies that work in practice. Drawing from disciplines such as psychology,
sociology, engineering, computer science, architecture, geography, and mathematics, crime science tackles real-world problems like burglary, terrorism, cybercrime, organised crime, and child exploitation (Wortley et al., 2019).
A defining feature of crime science is its interdisciplinary nature — welcoming contributions from natural and social sciences, as well as applied fields such as policing, urban planning.Forensic science. It champions prevention over punishment, and promotes innovations like situational crime prevention, problem-oriented policing, and the use of predictive analytics to identify and reduce risks.
A defining feature of crime science is its interdisciplinary nature — welcoming contributions from natural and social sciences, as well as applied fields such as policing, urban planning, and forensic science. It champions prevention over punishment, and promotes innovations like situational crime prevention, problem-oriented policing, and the use of predictive analytics to identify and reduce risks.
A defining feature of crime science is its interdisciplinary nature — welcoming contributions from natural and social sciences, as well as applied fields such as policing, urban planning, and forensic science. It champions prevention over punishment, and promotes innovations like situational crime prevention, problem-oriented policing, and the use of predictive analytics to identify and reduce risks.
In short, crime science is:
* Outcome-focused: always aiming to reduce harm and improve safety.
* Evidence-based: relying on data, experimentation, and evaluation.
* Transdisciplinary: integrating insights across diverse fields.
* Practical: focused on what works in the real world.
"Crime science is the application of scientific methods and knowledge from many disciplines to the development of practical and ethical ways to reduce crime and increase security"
Reference
Reference Wortley, R., Sidebottom, A., Tilley, N., & Laycock, G. (Eds.). (2019). Routledge Handbook of Crime Science. Routledge.
Reference Wortley, R., Sidebottom, A., Tilley, N., & Laycock, G. (Eds.). (2019). Routledge Handbook of Crime Science. Routledge.
