Community Problem-Solving Paper

For a long time, in the majority of local Police Departs in America, identifying crimes and tracking the same for arrest had been a major problem. With a particular focus on home burglaries and vandalism, the Police were experiencing serious difficulties in identifying perpetrators. Based on burglary statistics, it is derived that every year, there are over 2.5 million burglaries, 66% of which are home invasions. Due to a lack of witnesses or tangible evidence, Police only resolve 13% of reported burglary cases (Alarms.org, 2019). Since just 17% of homes have a surveillance system, the remaining 83% are more vulnerable to burglary. Homes without security have a 300% greater chance of being broken into. In 95% of cases, forcing entry is necessary. The most popular tools for breaking into a house are pry bars, screwdrivers,pliers, and small hammers because they are less obvious and easier to hide.

With the advent of closed circuit security systems and social media, police departments can now identify and follow burglary suspects for arrest. This paper, therefore, expounds on the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in conjunction with social media platforms, particularly Facebook, by police departments to identify crime suspects. In addition, this paper also discusses how the installation of CCTV in both public and private spaces has influenced the reduction of burglary-related crime.

Using CCTV and Facebook to identify burglary suspects

Businesses frequently install many cameras throughout their facilities so they may capture shoplifters from a variety of angles and obtain the most detailed information. However, they might not be apprehended immediately after a report is filed and a police officer receives video evidence. At the police station where I work, officers frequently post images of the suspect taken from security footage and announce on the "Police Department" Facebook page that they are looking for a suspect. It is highly possible that the public knows the suspect or has seen them previously.

If not, the town's residents and nearby...…with a populace of 250,000 or more say they do (Reaves, 2015). The practical application of CCTV mostly relates to deterrence, although various potential crime prevention strategies for CCTV have been proposed (Ratcliffe, 2006). Concepts of deterrence from a situational crime prevention standpoint have their roots in the rational choice theory of criminality.

The rational choice theory views crime as a "purposeful activity aimed to meet the offender's basic wants," in contrast to deterministic theories that see crime as an unavoidable outcome of societal issues (Piza, 2018). The perpetrator considers several "choice structuring features" when making decisions, such as the benefits, drawbacks, and inherent risk associated with committing a crime. According to Ratcliffe (2006, 8), the main goal of CCTV is to get a potential offender to experience a perceptual mechanism "such that an offender believes that if he commits a crime, he will be caught." This is crucial in influencing an offender's choice-making characteristics to encourage them to refrain from committing a crime.