Criminology and Crime Science in the Arab World

Throughout most of the twentieth century, Western criminological thought was preoccupied by theories of modern criminology, which were concerned with the question of why individuals commit crime. Since the late 1970s, however, the Western world has experienced new reconfigurations in the crime control field, one of which is the transformation of Western criminological thought. New crime theories have emerged in which the focus has shifted from the 'criminal' to the 'criminal activity'. Despite their importance, these developments have had no impact on the criminological thought in the Arab world, which is, to this day, is dominated by Western theories of modern criminology. This paper has three purposes. First, it discusses the status quo of criminology in the Arab world. Second, it suggests plausible explanations that help understand the current status of criminology in this region. Third, it discusses the relevance of some criminological developments (notably crime theories and environmental criminology) in the Arab context. In that eventuality, it argues that the Western developments might bring insightful crime prevention lessons for the Arab world.

Does routine activity theory still matter during COVID-19 restrictions? The geography of sexual assaults before, during, and after COVID-19 restrictions

On March 10, 2020, the Governor of the State of Michigan, USA, declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19. Within days, schools were closed; in-person dining was restricted; and lockdowns and precautionary stay-at-home orders were issued. These restrictions dramatically impacted the mobility of offenders and victims through space and time. As routine activities were forced to change and crime generators were closed, did hot spots and risky locations for victimization change as well? The purpose of this research is to analyze potential shifts in high-risk areas for sexual assaults before, during, and after COVID-19 restrictions. Using data from the City of Detroit, Michigan, USA, optimized hot spot analysis and Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) were used to identify critical spatial factors for the occurrence of sexual assaults before, during, and after COVID-19 restrictions. The results suggested that hot spot areas for sexual assaults were more concentrated during the COVID timeframe, compared to the Pre-COVID timeframe. While blight complaints, public transit stops, points of sale for liquor, and the locations of drug arrests were consistent risk factors for sexual assaults before and after COVID restrictions, other factors, such as casinos and demolitions, were only influential in the COVID period.

Using crime script analysis to understand wildlife poaching in Vietnam

Poaching can contribute to the failure of biodiversity conservation efforts and inflict diverse harms on human livelihoods. We applied crime script analysis to the case of snare poaching-an illegal hunting activity-in three Vietnamese protected areas. Our goal was to enhance the understanding about the opportunity structure underlying snare poaching to advance the suite of community-based crime prevention activities. We analyzed crime scripts for three types of poachers across nine stages of the poaching process using expert-based elicitation with 13 workshop participants in Vinh, Vietnam, 2018. Five stages were similar, clustered toward the early stages, and two were different, clustered around middle crime stages. Analysis produced systematic crime-specific insight about the procedural aspects and requirements for poaching from preparation to hunt to selling one's catch. Stages identify multiple entry points to apply prevention techniques and match techniques with different types of snare poaching or poachers. Although this research focused on protected areas, the interdisciplinary approach applied herein may be adapted to other conservation contexts.

Luxury Fashion Wildlife Contraband in the USA

The fashion industry is one of the largest markets for illegal wildlife products. This study examined US luxury fashion-related wildlife seizures made between 2003 and 2013 to better guide detection, enforcement, and policy. The findings of this study indicate that the number of incidents has increased over the 11-year period, while the number of associated items seized has decreased over this time. Of these seizures, nearly 88% were produced goods. A small proportion of genera made up the majority of seizures, with reptiles in particular accounting for 84% of incidents. Over half of all wildlife was wild-caught and was exported from eight countries. Based on these findings, it is suggested that policy be enacted relating specifically to the use of exotic leathers and furs, and that situational crime prevention alongside commitments to sustainability from fashion brands be used to reduce illegal imports and improve industry sustainability.

Forecasting homicide in the red stick: Risk terrain modeling and the spatial influence of urban blight on lethal violence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Incorporating features of the built environment, risk terrain modeling (RTM), is used to predict future criminal events in micro-units (i.e., city blocks). The current study examines the application of RTM to forecast homicide in the capital city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana while including a novel environmental risk factor, blighted properties. Based upon the extant literature and knowledge of the city, eighteen environmental risk factors are expected to spatially influence homicide. Results indicate that places most at risk of experiencing a homicide are located in areas where blighted properties are concentrated and in close proximity to convenience stores. RTM successfully identities and evaluates environmental risk factors that spatially influence lethal violence. Additionally, RTM is able to accurately forecast future acts of homicide. The results underscore how crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and blight remediation could be utilized as straightforward and prudent strategies to reduce lethal violence.