Burglary research and conceptualizing the community security function, a learning organization

Abstract

In the United States, perhaps elsewhere, burglary is the second most frequently occurring major crime after theft. Burglars prey on households and businesses, leaving behind victims and lost property rarely recovered. In the past 25 years, burglary rates have dropped dramatically in Western-law nations significantly attributable to effective crime prevention and security measures. Community initiatives have contributed to the implementation of some of these measures. This chapter suggests that even more rate reductions can be achieved by conceptualizing and developing the community security function (CSFs) as a learning organization. Burglars learn from experiences, successes and challenges, and research. Communities also learn (and can learn more) from information disseminated in many forms. CSFs exist more often in concept than reality. Formalization of CSFs as proactively critical and learned resources for further reducing burglary rates must rely on new research findings. Discussion is limited to summarizing selected recent research findings on burglars as crime workers who apply skills intentionally focused on counteracting security and prevention strategies. CSFs can benefit from an equally intensive focus on learning from what burglars are thinking and the actions and methods of prevention.