Citation

Cherney A. Crime Prev. Community Safety 2002; 4(3): 49-59.

Affiliation

Department of Criminology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group -- Palgrave-Macmillan)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Since the 1990s there has been an upsurge in policy-related research that aims to identify 'what works' in crime prevention. The principal aim has been to institute an evaluated body of knowledge that delineates 'best practice', providing a basis for the design and implementation of evidence-based crime prevention policy. The overall result has been efforts to specify general 'what works' principles that have a broad application across and within various jurisdictions and contexts. The main aim of this article is not to stipulate emerging 'what works' principles in crime prevention, but rather to provide a critical appraisal of this trend. The article is divided into three interrelated sections. Section one attempts to situate 'what works' research in crime prevention, explaining why it has gained prominence and currency. The second section provides a critical appraisal of the trend to specify 'what works' in the context of crime prevention's wider political and symbolic significance. The third section canvasses the issue of replication. It is concluded that any 'what works' program should be far broader than the current 'technicist' agenda being adopted.