CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SAFETY AMONG

RESIDENTS IN TAGUM CITY

A Thesis

Presented to the Thesis Committee

Department of Criminal Justice Education

St. Thomas Moore School of Law and Business

Doctolero St. Tagum City

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

JEFFERSON BULADACO
MUDJAK MAGTO
GLEN PANA
JOHN MARK BORTANO
RACQUE RENTUAYA

March 2018
 Chapter 1

PROBLEM AND ITS SETTINGS

Background of the Study

Approaches to crime prevention has developed over time and are

reflected in different United Nations resolutions and in practices and

policies implemented around the world. The emphasis is not only on

how crime can be reduced but also on how this can be used to maintain

and reinforce social cohesion of communities themselves to collectively

act and to improve their quality of life.

Crime prevention is a living concept whose boundaries vary

depending on the institutional framework in which it is used, and on

the geographical regions, languages, and time periods in which it takes

place. As we underlined in our first International Report, the Centre

bases all its activities on the definition of “prevention” outlined in the

2002 United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime, that

prevention: “comprises strategies and measures that seek to reduce the

risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on

individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to

influence their multiple causes.” These Guidelines were preceded by the

“Guidelines for the Prevention of Urban Crime”adopted by the UN

Economic and Social Council in 1995. Drawing on these internationally

adopted definitions – as well as the numerous clarifications included

in the guidelines and other UN resolutions – and the work and

exchanges organized by ICPC, we describe more fully below our concept

of “crime prevention“ and “community safety”.

Statement of the Problem

This study will be conducted to determine the relationship of

Crime prevention and Community safety among residents in Tagum

City.

Specifically it seeks to answer the following:

[Link] is the level of Crime prevention among residents in Tagum

City in terms of:

1.1 locally based crime prevention,

1.2 situational crime prevention and

1.3 reintegration programmes?

2. What is the level of Community safety among security guards in

Tagum City in terms of:

2.1Engagement

2.2 Providing a good service and

2.3 Neighborhood Control?

3. Is there a significant relationship between Crime prevention and

Community safety among residents in Tagum City?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis of the study will be tested at 0.05 level of

significance.

1. There is no significant relationship between Crime prevention

and Community safety among residents in Tagum City.

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored by the concept of Dr. Panganoron Jr., (2015)

who states that the trends in public perception on insecurity are

mixed. About 41 percent of the people fear to walk the streets while 45

percent are afraid of burglary at home during night time. Relatively,

non-victims of crime tend to think that students feel safe in the streets

and at home, while victims of crime tend to think otherwise. Most

police departments stress the importance of community relations and

many have taken such beyond enhancement and crime prevention

programs and have started involving the community. Efficient law

enforcement depends upon public trust and support. In the same

manner, public support and involvement in crime prevention results

in effective law enforcement. If the police proved ineffective in the

performance of its basic mission, then the people will lose their faith in

the criminal justice system and the government as a whole. In order to

deter crime, changes in the physical and social environment must be

implemented. Criminal acts can be avoided when the offender feels

“potential costs outweigh the potential benefit.

 This study is supported by Capobianco (2010) who states that crime

prevention encompasses a wide range of approaches, including those

which through social crime prevention, locally based crime prevention,

situational crime prevention and reintegration programmes.

Stone [Link] (2005),define the concept of community safety from the

perspective of the general public, identified were Engagement, Fairness,

Availability, Providing a good service and Neighborhood Control. Police

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Community Safety

Crime prevention Fairness

locally based crime prevention Providing a good service

Neighborhood Control.
situational crime prevention

reintegration programmes.
 Figure 1 Conceptual Framework of the Study

are also trying to cooperate more closely with established groups and

institutions that have a working interest in crime and order.

The concept of community safety used by ICPC emphasizes the

role of residents – or communities – in developing and implementing

these policies. Likewise, the development of personal capacities,

whether by education, professional skills development, leadership, etc.,

promotes good social integration and the building of peaceful living

environments.

Significance of the Study

The outcome of this study will benefit the following:

Barangay Police. This study will directly help the Barangay Police since

that our study talks about the range of their job. It will help them lessen

the burden that they bear and improve which will help them function

properly and much [Link]. Since the government is the one

taking care of the people, the results of this study will help them in the
sense that their role of taking care of people and ensuring their crime

prevention and community safety their [Link] Researchers. The

result of this study will help the researchers in crime prevention and

community safety. Though indirectly, identifying these challenges and

improving some ways to conquer it will for surely create a big impact to

them.

Definition of Terms

For clarity and easy understanding of the study, terms are

defined both conceptually and operationally.

Crime prevention. In this study it it refers to maintain that people act

in ways that are inconsistent with their attitudes seems patently

absurd.

Community Safety. In this study it refers to safeguarding the public,

retaining public trust is critical. This is because the public are a key

source of information, and their trust and cooperation are often key to

law enforcement.
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In general, the literature suggests that citizens generally report

positive attitudes toward the police and satisfaction with police service.

Today, much more research takes neighborhood characteristics, nature

of police contact, feeling of safety, and perception of crime rates as the

general determinants of citizen satisfaction with the police which are

mediated or moderated by different socioeconomic characteristics. In

compatible with this new trend, neighborhood characteristics are

claimed to be associated with citizen satisfaction with police(Tewksbury

& West, 2011).

The neighborhood in which the interaction with police occurs has

significant effects on citizens’ positive perception of police. Especially,

urban areas are under scrutiny of the researchers more than suburbs.

These places are likely to have greater social problems, such as poverty

and high crime rates which may contribute to citizens’ negative

perception of police (Nofziger & Williams, 2015).

As suggested in the literature, in order to get the desired results

of community policing, it is essential to create an environment in which

collaboration and sharing responsibility with community becomes a

part of policing. A number of studies focused on the influence of

collaboration between police and public on citizens’ perception of police

work and satisfaction(Goldstein, 2010)

These studies generally supported positive influence of

police-community cooperation to solve the problems of neighborhoods

on citizen satisfaction with the police . On the other hand, some

scholars stated the role of community demographics, crime rates, and

police image which mediates desired results for police –community

relationships (Sherman, 2010).

In addition to these general variables, police contact has long

been perceived as a determinant of citizen satisfaction. reported that

personal contact with the police as the “most significant determinant of

general satisfaction with police services than all other variables

combined”. In general, police contact is categorized as ‘officer initiated’

or ‘citizen initiated’ and “voluntary” (e.g. service calls) or “non-voluntary”

(e.g. traffic stops)(Scaglion and Condon 2010) .

Classifying contacts helped researchers identify the factors that

contribute to citizen satisfaction, and brought along an important

question. What actually account for satisfaction: type (nature) or

quality of contact? That voluntary contacts have generally been

associated with more positive ratings of the police. However, they also

documented whether or not the contact is initiated voluntarily, “higher

citizen evaluations of police are more likely to result when the police

treat the individual fairly and with compassion”(Reisig and Correia,

2010)
 “There is also variation in satisfaction within these general

categories of encounters, depending on the service rendered” namely

quality of the service and treatment. Given these findings, it is apparent

that citizens are more likely to hold positive attitudes toward police

services when police are viewed as respectful, helpful, and concerned

(Weitzer, 2010).

Policing Neighborhoods, a multi-method study of police patrol in

two police departments, results show that officers’ perceptions of their

supervisors’ priorities for problem solving affect the amount of time they

spend conducting these activities, although their own attitudes toward

community policing are unrelated to their behavior. We also find that

officers’ attitudes regarding problem solving are weakly correlated with

their supervisors’ attitudes and, further, that officers perceptions of

their supervisors’ attitudes are often inaccurate(Olson & Zanna, 2010).

Officer’s attitudes toward their role, their departments, and

toward citizens do not differ between men and women. More recent

investigations of officers' attitudes toward community policing and

problem solving policies, however, have shown that female officers have

more positive attitudes toward citizens and community policing

initiatives than do male officers (Skogan and Hartnett, 2010).

Attitude’s influence behavior is intuitively compelling. As Worden

suggests, " . Nevertheless, empirical findings suggest that police officer

attitudes and behavior are only weakly correlated. Beginning with

research in the 1960s, scholars have speculated about the influence of

police officers' attitudes on their behavior. For example, policing

scholars described the "authoritarian police personality," and often

suggested that officers' attitudes (e.g., cynicism) influenced their

behavior(Olson & Zanna, 2010).

A second benefit is to ensure the linkage between the

community’s priorities and needs, and public agencies' strategies. A

third and very important reason to measure police performance is to

increase public confidence. Lastly, it is important to measure police

performance in order to give the full value of the public’s cost to citizen,

community, and the employees of a public agency (Olsen & Epstein,

2011).

Contact with the police can potentially affect public confidence in a

number of ways. Recent research suggests that negative experiences in

public-initiated encounters have a disproportionately negative impact

on confidence. Positive experiences in specific encounters are less likely

to impact positively on general confidence (the ‘asymmetry’

theory)(Patterson and Jansson,2013).

Moreover, there is a strong correlation between a run-down physical

environment and a perceived fear of that environment. They go on to

say that factors such as darkness, desolation, lack of other people in

surrounding areas, and poor maintenance can influence perceptions of

fear about the public setting. In addition, Loukaitou – Sideris and Fink

describe the specific design characteristics of public space which can

influence perceptions of fear, such as places where there are

obstructions in one’s line of sight, where there are many spaces in

which someone could hide and where one would feel trapped without

possible escape routes. (Flectcher and Bryden,2007)

Crime prevention is viewed quite broadly, particularly in relation

to diverse ways that public and private protection and security function

in contemporary societies, and policing varies in terms of organization,

legal mandate, and territorial jurisdiction. Further, substantial

organizational specialization units vary in the scope of crime prevention

activities. A common sense vies of crime is that a visible police presence

prevents people from committing crimes, either individually or in

groups. Empirical studies, however, do not provide sufficient

information on the role police visibility in crime prevention. Somewhat

paradoxically, both covert and visible policing can be used to prevent

victimization by certain crime types Reiss (2010).

Peace keeping operations are those activities provided by the

officials to secure its residents by means of the implemented rules and

policies. In some areas they have special set activities wherein these are

visible. Community stakeholders discuss strategies for enhancing

public safety through community policing, the subject of foot patrols

inevitably arises. Sometimes deemed old fashioned by the rank and file,

foot patrols may be effective not only as a means of curbing crime in

neighborhoods, enhancing community partnerships, and keeping

officers in touch with local activity, but also as a means for departments
to lessen the impact of high fuel costs. Historically, foot patrols are the

oldest form of police patrol work. The use of foot patrol decreased

substantially in the last century before reemerging as a community

policing tool. The benefits, particularly in the form of community

goodwill and improved relationships between the communities, may

help to explain the recent resurgence in this practice. Coupled with the

high gas prices in 2008, foot patrols are once again being used as a

community policing tool. As with many policing strategies, departments

adapt their approaches to community and department needs.

Historically, foot patrols had a small effect on crime, but significant

changes have been recorded with increased community stratification.

Departments that take positive elements of foot patrols and combine

their efforts with data analysis that focuses on the time, location, and

type of crime, may use the findings to develop strategies to decrease

crime and enhance the quality of life in their communities. Crime

prevention and community satisfaction with police services, while

linked to the number of officers on the streets, does not depend entirely

on the visibility of patrol officers. Community engagement, targeted

initiatives, strategic use of resources, and data-driven decision-making

contribute to decrease crime. Foot patrols should be perceived and

promote as an important component of the department’s strategic

operating plan. The following are key initiatives that a department can

use to pave the way for foot patrols to succeed: determine the date, time

and location of service calls by type, and create representative maps to

aid in efficient and effective deployment. Complement statistical

analysis with a community survey to obtain the opinions of residents,

invite the community to participate in planning sessions. Recruit a

range of individuals (both officers and civilians) to use various models of

patrol, demonstrating that police and civilians can address public

expectations through a variety of approaches such as volunteer efforts

with neighbourhood watch program and crime prevention

programming. (Miller, 2013).

Visits and checks on many premises are carried out of our patrol

officers at irregular intervals and unspecified times, particularly during

at night hours, weekends and holiday periods. The activities of our

patrol are controlled by a system which not only ensures its efficiency

but also gives customers detailed reports conforming that the guard

has made his visits and rounds of inspection in the proper manner.

Patrolling provides emergency and temporary guard and staffing

services for a variety of temporary, one-time and emergency jobs at

competitive rates Hamton (2011).

Police visibility helps in the maintenance of the peace and order.

The implanting body of the municipality or even in barangay will give

full time efforts in implementing ordinances, monitoring the places and

new faces person inside in their area of responsibility, when result to

lawless element would hesitate to do criminal activities Martins (2012).

Many authors have referred to the difficult task of defining Policing in

one paragraph. It is a philosophy of full service, where the same officer

patrols and works in the same area on a permanent basis, from a

decentralized place, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to

identify and solve problems. Koch and Bennett (1993:37)

Policing philosophy as "A belief or intention held by the police that

they should: Consult with and take account of the wishes of the public

in determining and evaluating operational policing policy and practice;

and Collaborate with the public whenever possible in solving local

problems." Kelling and Moore (1988:6-21)

These drives are the following: (i) Crime Prevention Crime

prevention includes all measures and efforts undertaken by the police,

with the participation and support of the community, to eliminate, or

minimize, the magnitudes of motives, instrumentalities, and

opportunities for the commission of crimes. The following are some

illustrative examples: initiating the amicable settlement of disputes

among neighbors; minimizing drug addiction and drunkenness with

the aim of reducing the motives; campaigning against unlicensed

firearms; regulating and checking on the carrying of licensed firearms

and other deadly weapons outside of one's residence to reduce

instrumentalities; launching a crime prevention consciousness drive,

including the observance of National Crime Prevention Week;

dissemination of the crime groups' modus operandi, installation of light

at night, and clearing of crime-prone areas and many others to reduce

the opportunities for crime (Jacqui Karn, 2013) .

All of these measures and efforts should result many crimes being

prevented; (ii) Crime Suppression Crime suppression is based on the

cardinal principle that a crime will only happen if all three (3) correlated

ingredients (motives, instrumentalities, and opportunities) converge at

the same time and place. This drive thus encompasses all of the

measures and efforts undertaken by the police with the participation

and support of the community, to suppress the motives and/or

instrumentalities of potential criminals, and reduce the opportunities

to commit crimes.

Several strategies in reducing criminality Dr. Jacqui Karn, 2013:

Traditional approaches a policing allocating enforcement that covers

their jurisdiction such as random patrol response, stop and search,

Investigation and detection, Intensive enforcement. Random patrol and

response, a considerable body of early research on police effectiveness

in reducing crime was devoted to exploring the effectiveness of random

patrol in preventing and detecting crime, either as a general deterrent

or by answering calls in the shortest possible time (Skogan and Frydl,

2004).

As yet little is known about why hotspots are attractive targets to

offenders and what role, if any, residents‟ „collective efficacy‟ plays in

this. The term „collective efficacy‟ is used to describe the degree to

which neighbors know and trust one another and are willing to

intervene (together or individually) to protect their neighborhood from

crime and related problems. It acts as a protective factor in

Neighborhoods that might otherwise experience high levels of crime

(Sampson and Raudenbusch, 1999).

 To an extent a problem-solving approach is embedded in the

National Intelligence Model (and potentially in some investigation

practice), and is evident, in particular, in the way analysis is intended to

inform multi-agency tasking meetings (Maguire and John, 2003), so

problemsolving has become part of policing practice.

`Problem-oriented policing requires a thorough understanding of

the problems and the effectiveness of strategies to address them. This

involves an analysis of their causes, identifying strategies for

intervention (beyond law enforcement) and involving other agencies and

the community in delivering them. It also requires checking whether

the intended benefits have accrued (Tilley, 2010).

To some community policing is simply an alternative to an

enforcement-based approach whereas to others it is an approach that

actively involves the public in crime control and improves

communication between the public and the police. Despite this, the

principles underpinning community policing have been widely adopted

and community policing has become, in the US at least, „a new

orthodoxy for cops‟ (Dr. Jacqui Karn, 2013)

 Chapter 3

METHOD

This chapter presents the research methodology used in the

study. This includes the research design, research subject, research

instrument, data collection and statistical tools.

Research Design

The researchers employed the quantitative non-experimental

research design using correlational technique. A quantitative

non-experimental using correlational technique involves descriptive

and accurate interpretation of findings. This method will employ for

determining the crime prevention and community safety in Tagum

City.

Herson (2005), a descriptive method of research describes and

interprets what are the revealed conditions and relationships that

exists, practice that are prevailing, and the effects that are being felt

on those trends that are developing.

Research Subject

The respondents of the study will be residents in Barangay

Mankilam Tagum City. This study will be conducted for the S.Y 2019.

Table 1 shows the distribution of the respondents.

 Table 1. Distribution of Respondent

______________________________________________________________

Respondents Samples

______________________________________________________________

Residents in

[Link]

_________________________________________________________________
Research Instrument

The researchers used a survey questionnaire and collect study

related data from the respondents. Research made questionnaire will be

used for the convenience of both researchers and the respondents of the

study. The first set of the questionnaire will be the indicators of the

independent variables of the study level of crime prevention. The

dependent variable of the study level of community safety.

To determine the level of crime prevention the following

parameter limits to be used are:

Range Level Interpretation

4.30 – 5.00 Very High This means that the level of

crime prevention is very much
observed

3.50 – 4.29 High This means that the level of

crime prevention is much
observed.

2.70 – 3.49 Moderate This means that the level of

crime prevention is moderately
observed.

1.90 – 2.69 Less This means that the level of

crime prevention less observed

1.00 – 1.89 Low This means that the level of

crime prevention is not observed.

To determine the level of community safety, the following

parameter limits to be used are:

Range Level Interpretation

4.30 – 5.00 Very High This means that the level of

community safety is very
much felt
3.50 – 4.29 High This means that the level of
community safety is
much felt

2.70 – 3.49 Moderate This means that trust that the

level of community safety is
moderately felt

1.90 – 2.69 Less This means that that the level

of community safety is less felt

1.00 – 1.89 Low This means that the level of

community safety of is not
felt .

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers undergo the following steps: First, is to seek

permission from the St. Thomas Moore Administration to facilitate the

research process. After which, the researchers will secure a letter to

conduct study from the respondents to allow them to carry out

research in the area. Primary data will be used for the study.

Structured questionnaires will be used as a tool of data collection. The

questionnaires will be prepared and distributed to the residents in

Brgy Mankikam, Tagum City by the researchers. Respondents may

write their names or not in the questionnaire for the purpose of

confidentiality and will be given a week to fill in the questionnaire, and

finally, the data will be analyzed and interpreted based on the research

objectives.

Statistical Tools

The result were analyzed and interpreted in the light and

purposes of the study. The following statistical tools used are the

following.
 Average Weighted Mean. This test was used to determine the

level of crime prevention and community safety among residents in

Brgy Mankikam, Tagum City.

Pearson r. This was used to determine the relationship between

evel of crime prevention and community safety among residents in

Brgy Mankikam, Tagum City.