Street Crime

by Hallsworth; Simon

• ISBN13: 9781843920281
• ISBN10: 184392028X
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2005-02-01
• Publisher: Willan

Summary

Street crime remains high on the public and political agenda, and is frequently the subject of media attention and concern. This book aims to provide a detailed and accessible account of the phenomenon, placing the subject in its theoretical, historical and political context.It addresses the question of how serious a problem street crime really is, and why it has become such a hot political issue. The book draws upon contemporary debates about the supposed presence of an emerging underclass, and in particular the 'criminalisation' and 'racialisation' of black communities with whom it has come to be particular associated in the public mind.The author then develops a framework of analysis which focuses upon the relationship of three key variables: the production of motivated offenders, the availability and suitability of victims, and a study of the limits inherent in current control strategies.Finally, the book concludes that a successful prevention strategy requires an agenda that concentrates on revitalising the public sphere in inner city areas shy; rather than reliance policies of situational crime prevention, zero tolerance policing and increased punishment.

Author Biography

Simon Hallsworth is Director of the Centre for Social and Evaluation Research at London Metropolitan University.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(12)
Part 1 A Short History of Street Robbery
Chapter 1 Outlaws and highwaymen	13	(20)
Chapter 2 Street robbery in the urban context	33	(18)
Part 2 Accounting for Street Crime
Chapter 3 Interpreting the data	51	(16)
Chapter 4 The view from the right	67	(12)
Chapter 5 The view from the left	79	(13)
Chapter 6 Towards a framework of analysis	92	(17)
Part 3 Street Robbery and Contemporary Society
Chapter 7 Suitable and available victims	109	(13)
Chapter 8 The production of motivated offenders	122	(20)
Chapter 9 Deficits in social control	142	(19)
Chapter 10 Conclusion	161	(16)
Bibliography	177	(6)
Index	183