The routine activity theory, created by Cohen and Felson, focuses on three factors that

converge in space and time during daily activities to explain criminal behavior; a potential

offender with the ability to commit a crime, a suitable target or victim, the absence of

guardians capable of protecting targets and victims (Miró, 2014). For criminal behavior to

occur, all three must be present. The rational choice methodology is the foundation of routine

activity theory and situational crime prevention strategies (Kitteringham & Fennelly, 2020).

In order to implement specific practices and preventative techniques in conducting

patrol, practitioners like barangay tanod have adopted the routine activities theory. One of

their preventive tactics, based on routine activities theory, entails patrols to change these

opportunity structures and stop criminal events. It is now widely applied to comprehend and

address crime issues. It has efficient consequences for prevention. As a result, it has

significant ramifications for the barangay tanod's efforts to prevent crime. This is supported

in another study about the Assessment of Crime Prevention Programs of Selected Barangays

in Cabanatuan City in 2020 which states that most respondents considered patrol operations

to be effective. Thus, patrol operations have something to do with being seen by the

community's residents, giving them a sense of security and denying potential criminals the

chance to act.

This is also supported in 2014 by Vicente et al. on The Crime Prevention Programs in

Baguio City which identify and demonstrate the use of five crime prevention strategies which

includes the effectiveness of patrolling. These programs were implemented using five

techniques that were touted as being successful in reducing crime. All the barangays agree

that foot patrolling is the method for deterring crime that is most effective. No unusual or

other techniques are used in the implementation of the crime prevention programs in the top

10 crime-prone barangays, primarily to address their designation as crime-prone regions.

Additionally, it was discovered that these barangays used neighbourhood watch and visibility

less frequently. Additionally, a barangay with a crime rate of zero employs "oplan sultipak,"

which is said to be successful in preventing crime. Even when prevention techniques are fully

executed, issues still arise.

The researchers held that several factors, including time, place, and era, might have a

significant impact on crime prevention and that these elements would cause crime prevention

to alter over time. As a result, dealing crime and harsh punishments was more of a reactive

practice in the past when it came to crime prevention. However, police visibility will continue

to be one of the most effective crime prevention strategies available to law enforcement.

In addition, the social control theory states that, anyone may recognize the benefits of

committing a crime and come up with and carry out any criminal activity on the spot without

any particular motivation or training. It states that the costs associated with crime cause

people to resist committing it. It also presupposes that one of the main costs of crime is the

rejection of the target population (Costello & Laub, 2019).