Scope and Limitations
The main focus of this study is confined with the Efficacy of
Police Visibility in Preventing Crimes. The study was carried out
at selected participants in 6 Puroks of Barangay 30,Bacolod
City,Negros Occidental.The respondents were identified and gather
their profile to provide information in order to attain the
objectives of the study.
Theoretical Framework
Routine activity theory, developed by Cohen and Felson, revolves
around three things: a “potential offender, a suitable target,
and the absence of a capable guardian” (Bottoms and Wiles, 1997,
p. 320). All three must come together in order for criminal
activity to be realized. Routine activity theory relies on the
same rational choice methodology as situational crime prevention
techniques. As in any theory, routine activity theory has its
criticisms. One of the primary criticisms is the assumption that
criminals are rational in their decision-making. They may not use
the same rationale as the person implementing the security
measures. They may not even be aware of the situational crime
prevention techniques put into effect. They may be under the
influence of drugs or alcohol or, for whatever reason, they may
simply not care about the security measures. (Glen Kitteringham,
Lawrence J. Fennelly, in Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime
Prevention (Sixth Edition), 2020)
Routine activity theory, from Cohen and Felson (1979), emphasizes
that crime occurs when three elements converge: (1) a motivated
offender, (2) a suitable target, and (3) the absence of a capable
guardian. This theory includes the routine activities of both
offender and victim. An offender may routinely walk through
specific neighborhoods looking for homes that appear as easy
targets for burglary or into buildings in a commercial area to
seek opportunities for theft. Because in many families all adults
work, homes are often unoccupied during the day, which can become
suitable targets for burglary. “Neighborhood Watch” and alarm
systems can prevent crime. Commercial buildings without access
controls or other security methods, likewise, can become suitable
targets. A capable guardian can be ordinary people who can
intervene or serve as witnesses, or police or security personnel.
From a corporate security perspective, for example, salespeople,
truck drivers, and others who are “on the road” can become
suitable targets when a capable guardian is unavailable and a
motivated offender is encountered. Thus, security practitioners
should establish preventive programs to protect employees through
training, security and safety tips, policies, procedures,
technology, and other methods.(Philip P. Purpura, in Security and
Loss Prevention (Sixth Edition), 2013)
Based on Routine activity theory, crimes exist with the three
elements. This study focused on the Efficacy of Police Visibility
in Preventing Crimes,which this theory is applicable. As to the
motivated offender, he will commit crime to a suitable offender
when there is an absence of a capable guardian.But with Police
Visibility the crime will not be done because Policemen will
become the capable guardian. The Police officers and other types
of law enforcement can be seen as a form of protection from crime
and victimization, and thus prevent crimes from happening.
Many potential offenders, although motivated to commit a crime,
would be hesitant to do so with a police officer nearby. Capable
guardianship can also be informal.
Community connections within a neighborhood, for instance, could
offer protection from criminal behavior within the community.
This form of protection, Cohen and Felson (1979) suggest, can be
even more potent than that of law enforcement, as there are fewer
police officers patrolling neighborhoods than there are citizens.
As a result, citizens are more likely to provide informal
guardianship against potentially criminal behavior. For instance,
a neighborhood watch association may patrol their neighborhoods,
civilians may intervene during confrontations, and those in a
neighborhood may, consciously or unconsciously, maintain
surveillance in order to prevent crime and promote social order
by passing through an area at a particular time.
Just as potential targets are not limited to people, potential
guardians are not, either. A nearby security camera or a sign
indicating that there is a home burglary alarm may cause an
offender to hesitate committing a crime.
Physical barriers, such as walls around a community or fencing
around a home could constrain where the offender can intrude.
These barriers can even exist on a large level.
Felson and Boba (2010), for instance, suggest that proper urban
planning and neighborhood layout can physically and symbolically
"design out crime."
Routine activities theory also examines social context as a way
to understand crime.
Cohen and Felson (1979) explain how certain social conditions
affect the nature of people's day-to-day behaviors and therefore
influence whether motivated offenders, suitable targets, and
capable guardians will be in the same place at the same time.
For example, during major holiday shopping days, such as Black
Friday, malls will be crowded, money will change hands
frequently, and homes will be more likely to be vacant.
This seasonal shift in routine activities offers motivated
offenders increased opportunities for crimes through providing
suitable targets such as shoppers carrying money and valuables
and unattended homes to burglarize.
Cohen and Felson discussed large-scale social trends and their
implications on American crime rates as a way of testing their
theory. The first of these trends was that of women entering the
workforce in greater numbers following World War II.
As women took on jobs outside the home, many households were left
vacant for longer periods of time. Because of this, Cohen and
Felson (1979; Branic, 2015) argued, there were increased
opportunities for certain types of crime, such as burglary.
Additionally, as activities moved from outside the home to the
public, the likelihood of motivated offenders coming in contact
with suitable targets also increased.
Thus, according to routine activities theory, crime rates rose
following the second World War. Cohen and Felson (1979) also
argued that the type of objects that people carry influences how
much crime happens in wider society due to the changing
suitability of targets.
For example, a thief may be more likely to take a wallet than a
piano because the wallet is portable, concealable, and more
powerful relative to its weight than a piano (Branic, year).
Cohen and Feelson observed that, over time, many expensive
valuables such as televisions and computers reduced in size and
weight, increased in monetary value, and were owned by more
people.
For example, computers — which once took up the size of an entire
room, making theft extremely difficult — shrunk to a size
concealable in a backpack, or even a pocket.
In modern times, computers are so portable, commonplace, and
valuable that they have become prime targets for theft (Branic,
2015). Nickerson, C. (2022, Jan 11). Routine activities theory.
Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/routine-activities-
theory.html
Conceptual Framework
This study seeks to know the profile of the respondents in 6
puroks of Barangay 30, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.The
independent variables comprises the age, sex and marital status
of the respondents. The depedent variables is The Efficacy of
Police Visibility in Preventing Crimes which would be measured
through questionnaire. Finally, the arrow represents how
independent variables affects the dependent variables.
Independent Variables Dependent Variables
Findings
1.PROFILE
AGE
SEX The Efficacy The Efficacy:
MARITAL of Police VERY EFFECTIVE
STATUS Visibility in EFFECTIVE
EDUCATION Preventing LESS EFFECTIVE
AL Crimes. NOT EFFECTIVE
ATTAINMEN
T
Related Literature
Local literature
Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome, Chief of the
Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered all policemen
doing office work to go out and render at least four hours
of security patrols in their areas of jurisdiction.“They
will now be conducting patrol before they go to the office
and before they go home,” said Bartolome. The target time
will be from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the morning and from
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon. According to
Bartolome, the PNP objective is to make use of that time on
matters that need the police concerns most, which is
patrolling the streets”. It was implemented by Bartolome in
Metro Manila while he was director of the National Capital
Region Police Office (NCRPO).
After the assessment that it was effective, Bartolome
said he wants to implement it across the country because
aside from policemen doing office work, he said some
policemen in other units will also be required to conduct
beat patrol.
He, however, clarified that only those assigned in
areas where the threat of big rebel groups like communist
and Moro rebels will be tapped for patrol. “Some of those
assigned in internal security operations will be used for
visibility because we all know that it is an essential
component to prevent crime,” said Bartolome.
Moreover, Abat (2013) stated that in Davao City, the
police station is increasing police visibility in
communities to reduce the numbers of crimes. Most of the
policemen are outside for advocacy programs and to maximize
visibility. And also don’t let the ride in a mobile since
mostly they are on foot patrol to observe more the community
safety, this way they could easily establish connection with
the community against criminal acts. Policemen also go
house-to-house in different villages in subdivision within
the area of their responsibilities to make sure that they
are safe by the police force.
Hence, Rińen (2014), stated that Cebu City is further
strengthening police visibility in public areas where
implemented by the police as part of their strategy to lower
street crimes in program dubbed Metro Cebu Comprehensive
Deployment System (MCCDS) which in this program they will
maximize police visibility out in the streets to prevent
crimes from happening and witness more augmentation of
policemen out in the streets in beat, foot, and mobile in
covert operations. “The response to street crimes is always
police presence”, apart from increasing the number of
policemen in foot and mobile patrols, other strategies that
will be employed the establishment of checkpoints,
deployment of covert personnel and with all these done in
random manner.
Therefore, safety is a freedom from harm or danger and
the state of being safe which every person assures in the
place they were living and for their daily lives. People
need to feel safe at all times under any circumstances. It
does not matter if you are at home, at work, at school,
travelling at social event or in desperate need of emergency
assistance.
Foreign Literature
According to Levinson (2004), “the patrol exercise is
not only limited to crime control but also to reduce the
fear within the neighborhood”. This builds stronger
relationship between police and community and wins the
resident trust. Therefore, patrolling is one way of
securing, protecting, preserving the life and property and
assuring the safety of the people in the community.
Omaha police are stepping up their presence in two
well-known neighborhoods. The new beat patrols will hit the
streets of Dundee and Benson at 5:30 p.m. each night with
the goal of keeping everyone in these busy neighborhoods
safer.
Capt. Shayna Ray said with a newly graduated class,
there are now more officers on the street. It's welcome news
for Megan Hunt and her business partner, who just opened up
the Hello Holiday shop in Dundee.
Definitely having cops doing a beat in the Dundee
neighborhood, as well as the Benson neighborhood, would not
only make the nightlife scene a little bit safer for
everybody, but just give some peace of mind to the business
owners in the whole area.
Hence, officers are to become experts in the area, they
are supposed to reach out to the community, they're supposed
to be out on foot patrol and bike patrol “Reyes said”.
This unique shift will allow them to focus on those
demand times, as well as be a little more proactive in the
area," said City Council President Pete Festersen.
The new beat will also reach out to residential areas,
where Ray says they're trying to put a dent in burglaries.
Moreover, beat policing is based on traditional
policing (late 19th century) and utilizes the close
relationship with the community members within the assigned
beat to strengthen police effectiveness and encourage
cooperative efforts to make a safer community. Beat police
typically patrol on foot or bicycle which provides more
interaction between police and community members (Miller
2013).
As stated by Manwong (2008), the patrol operations
provide continuous police service and high visibility of law
enforcement and it is the most vital component of police
work. In fact, in organizing the police organization, patrol
is considered the skeletal foundation. It is the backbone of
the department.
Some of the study focuses on police visibility just
like, Rińen (2014), statement that Cebu City is further
strengthening police visibility in public areas where
implemented by the police as part of their strategy to lower
street crimes in program dubbed Metro Cebu Comprehensive
Deployment System (MCCDS) which in this program they will
maximize police visibility out in the streets to prevent
crimes from happening and witness more augmentation of
policemen out in the streets in beat, foot, and mobile in
covert operations. “The response to street crimes is always
police presence”, apart from increasing the number of
policemen in foot and mobile patrols, other strategies that
will be employed the establishment of checkpoints,
deployment of covert personnel and with all these done in
random manner.
Levinson (2004), stated that “the patrol exercise is
not only limited to crime control but also to reduce the
fear within the neighborhood”. This builds stronger
relationship between police and community and wins the
resident trust. Therefore, patrolling is one way of
securing, protecting, preserving the life and property and
assuring the safety of the people in the community.
Reviewed studies and literature are all commonly
concerned about the patrol programs held in order to prevent
crime and to strengthen the relationship between the
community and the law enforcers because of police
visibility.
The primary concern of patrol program is to reduced
offending behavior and victimization or violent crimes,
reduced crime rates, and has provided safer environments.
Definition of Terms
Efficacy- the ability to produce a desired or intended
result.
Police Visibility-Police visibility has been defined in
various ways in different studies, such as the mere presence
of the police on the streets (Pfuhl, 1983)
