Harrogate Borough Council
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Crime
What is a Crime
Harrogate District is a low crime area, area, although public perception does not always mirror this fact.
Within the District, Harrogate continues to have the majority of the reported crime. If one looks at the crime pattern over a number of years it can be seen that the pattern and types of crime remain reasonably constant.
The numbers of each of the different categories of crime vary
from year to year, but the type and pattern of these crimes does
not vary much. Burglary of dwelling houses, burglary of buildings
other than dwellings, theft of and theft from motor cars continue
to be a recurring theme.
Other forms of theft and dishonesty occur, but by far the most
common crimes are the ones that almost anyone of us might be victim
of. We all live in a dwelling of some kind and most of us have a
car. This pattern of crime does not attract
media headlines or much publicity at all, as it seems to have
become an accepted part of our lives.
Sensational, unusual or violent crimes continue to attract
headlines and some publicity. Therefore it is all to easy for us to
forget that we need to be aware of reality .
For a crime to successfully to take place there needs to be
three essential ingredients. These are best illustrated by a
triangle, known as the crime opportunity triangle. It requires,
firstly a committed offender intent on stealing, a victim or owner
of property, and thirdly a suitable opportunity to commit the
offence. If any one of these three aspects
can be removed, then the triangle will not stand up, and the
offence cannot then take place.
Two of these three ingredients will always
be present. We cannot remove all the offenders or even potential
offenders. Nor can we remove all the victims. We can however remove
or at least lower, the opportunity for an offence to take place.
For example, last year, nearly half the
burglaries of houses in an area of north east Harrogate were not
forced entry or break-ins. They were sneak-ins through an unlocked
door or window. An easy opportunity for householders to remove.
Thus halving the burglary rate at a stroke.
Removing opportunity is not necessarily difficult or expensive, but it does require some commitment by householders and owners of property.
Removing opportunity is not necessarily difficult or expensive, but it does require some commitment by householders and owners of property.