CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ASSIGNMENT

GROUP G
Crime Prevention

1. What are the multiple causes of crime?

Crime is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon influenced by a variety of factors. Multiple
causes of crime can be categorized into several broad categories, including:

 Socioeconomic Factors: like poverty and income inequality.

 Social Environmental factors: which include issues like family dysfunction, peer pressure and self
isolation.
 Education and Employment: lack of education and unemployment usually hinders opportunities
for lawful employment leading to crime
 Substance Abuse: which leads to crime due to impaired judgement
 Psychological and Individual Factors: people with mental health issues, personality traits like
impulsivity and unresolved childhood trauma may easily commit crime.
 Cultural and Environmental Factors:some cultural norms and neighbourhood conditions may
promote criminal behaviour
 The Legal and Criminal Justice System can also contribute to crime as inadequate police presence
and inefficient sentencing and rehabilitation procedures lead to increased crime levels.
 Historical and Societal Factors: societal movements eg civil rights movements may impact crime
levels.

2. What agencies are involved in crime prevention?

Some of the key agencies and organizations involved in crime prevention in Kenya include:
 The Kenya Police Service: Which maintains law and order as well as ensuring crime prevention.
 Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI): which is responsible for investigating serious
crimes and gathering intelligence.

 National Crime Research Centre (NCRC): which conducts research on various aspects of crime
and criminal justice to inform policy and decision-making in crime prevention

 National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC): which focuses on prevention and response to

terrorism.
 National Council for the Administration of Justice (NCAJ): which indirectly contributes to crime
prevention.
 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Numerous NGOs in Kenya work on crime prevention
initiatives, including programs focused on youth development, community policing, and
advocacy for the rights of vulnerable populations.
 Department of Probation and Aftercare Services: which is responsible for the rehabilitation and
reintegration of offenders into society.
 National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA): NACADA is involved in
efforts to prevent drug abuse, a significant factor contributing to criminal behavior.
  National Council for Children's Services (NCCS): NCCS works to protect the rights and well-
being of children, addressing issues related to child abuse and neglect.

Discuss the following scenarios.

1) A home visit by an early health nurse to all new parents is provided to check on how they are
managing the demands of parenthood. Is this a crime prevention measure?
This is not typically considered a direct crime prevention measure in the traditional sense. However, it
can indirectly contribute to crime prevention Through|

o **Family Support**: Home visits by early health nurses offer support and guidance to
new parents, helping them adapt to the demands of parenthood. Strong family support
systems can reduce the likelihood of family dysfunction and child abuse, which are risk
factors for future criminal behavior.
o **Early Intervention**: Early health nurses can identify and address potential health and
developmental issues in children at an early stage. Early intervention in cases of health or
developmental challenges can mitigate the risk of behavioral issues that might lead to
criminal activity in adolescence or adulthood.

2) A landscape architect makes several recommendations in relation to the development of a new

housing estate. Some of these recommendations include the planting of low growing vegetation at
the front of all homes and the installation of a garden bed along the front of the fences. Is this a
crime prevention measure?
While this is not a direct crime prevention measure it can play a role in creating an environment that is
less conducive to criminal behavior.
 These recommendations align with the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design (CPTED)which aims to reduce opportunities for crime by modifying the physical
environment. By enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood through landscaping, it may
discourage criminal behavior by promoting a sense of community ownership and pride.
 Natural Surveillance: Low-growing vegetation and garden beds can improve natural
surveillance by allowing residents and passersby to have a clear line of sight to the front of homes
and streets. This can deter criminal activities by increasing the perception that potential offenders
are being watched.

3) Machine-readable microchips will be implanted under the skin of thousands of offenders as part
of an expansion of an electronic tagging scheme. Tiny chips would be surgically inserted under
the skin of offenders in the community, to help enforce home curfews. The radio frequency
identification (RFID) tags - as long as two grains of rice - are able to carry scan able personal
information about individuals, including their identities, address and offending record. Is this a
crime prevention measure?
This is a form of electronic monitoring and surveillance rather than a traditional crime prevention
measure. These microchips may have the following implications:
 o **Monitoring and Enforcement**: The primary purpose of these microchips is to
monitor the whereabouts and activities of offenders in the community. They are not
designed to prevent crime but rather to enforce specific court-ordered restrictions, such as
home curfews.

 **Deterrence**: While the presence of these microchips may serve as a deterrent to some
offenders, particularly those on parole or probation, their effectiveness as a crime prevention
measure is limited. Offenders may be discouraged from violating curfew restrictions due to the
knowledge that their movements are tracked, but the chips themselves do not address the root
causes of criminal behavior.
 **Correctional and Monitoring Tools**: The use of electronic monitoring technologies, including
microchips, is often part of a broader system of correctional and monitoring tools used in the
criminal justice system. These tools can help authorities manage the behavior and activities of
offenders in the community.

4) Mandatory drug testing has been introduced in some workplaces, especially where the
performance of intricate physical tasks is required. Is this a crime prevention measure?
Mandatory drug testing in workplaces is not typically considered a direct crime prevention measure.
Instead, it is primarily a workplace policy aimed at ensuring safety, productivity, and compliance with
company rules and regulations to promote workplace safet, productivity and quality control. However,
there are indirect connections between mandatory drug testing and certain aspects of crime prevention
such as ensuring:
 **Legal Compliance**: In some industries, compliance with mandatory drug testing is a legal
requirement. Violating these regulations can result in legal consequences, which may indirectly
prevent workplace-related criminal charges or penalties.
 **Deterrence**: While not a crime prevention measure in the traditional sense, mandatory drug
testing can act as a deterrent. Employees who know they are subject to random drug tests are less
likely to use illicit substances, which could indirectly reduce drug-related crimes outside the
workplace.