Essays From
Examiners
89
January 1, 2020
77.
Police and crime rates
Some countries are struggling with increases in crime rates. Some believe that
having more police on the streets is best way to reduce and combat crime. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
Many countries today are grappling with the best ways to curb
rising crime rates and some
have suggested that increased police presence on the streets is the optimal solution.
Although I think this would have a positive effect for obvious reasons, the best solution is
more nuanced and requires a deeper understanding of the sources underlying crime.
There is little doubt that employing greater numbers of police officers will
have an adverse
affect on criminality. One of the best examples of this would be in New York City under
Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the late 1980s and early 90s. At that time,
New York was a
haven for criminals and many areas of the city were deemed too dangerous by residents to
safely live in or walk through at night. One of the many measures that Giuliani used to
reduce crime was significantly increasing the number of police
officers during his time in
office. This led to a reciprocal decline in crime and made the tourist-heavy neighbourhoods
almost entirely safe and the rougher districts at least passably crime-free.
The above-mentioned measures were only effective because administrators also tackled
the root causes of crime. It is generally agreed upon that the principle causes of crime are
related to education indirectly and poverty more directly. If you look at countries with
extremely low poverty and
unemployment rates, such as Japan, you will see
correspondingly low rates of crime.
In Japan, this begins with one of the world’s most
renowned educational systems. Students graduate from high school and university with
immediately employable skills and most are employed throughout their lifetimes. Since
they have money to afford a good standard of living there is little
incentive for criminal
behaviour and the crime rate is among the lowest in the world.
In conclusion, the best way to reduce crime in the long-term is to invest more in education
and the economy to stimulate job growth and address the catalysts spurring on crime. Any
government that is serious about making their country a safer place must first take steps to
improve their educational system as that will have the largest impact
on creating the stable
jobs that discourage criminality in all its forms.