DB 3.0
In your own words, answer this unit’s discussion questions in a main post (recommended minimum 370 words)
Assignment Details
Your supervisor informs you that each criminal justice agency in your community has to develop a new crime-fighting strategy for the coming fiscal year that must be based on a crime causation explanation to be presented to the city council for funding your department. Using the library and other available resources, prepare a brief summary of a policy linked to a theory that you would propose.
In your response, please address the following:
- The purpose of the policy
- The theory guiding your policy
- Anticipated benefits
- Benefits and disadvantages of your policy
- The implementation plan
1
by Dr. Edward Hale
Posted Oct 14, 2019
The Unit 3 Discussion Board (DB) is an exploration of policy writing – and the reasons they are
created.
Policies Address Problems
In your criminal justice career, it is quite possible that you will be tasked with developing a
crime reduction strategy that is based on a crime causation theory. Whether you are in a public
agency or in a private corporation, crime reduction issues are frequently tied to funding sources
of problems. First, the root problem must be identified. Second, a plan must be developed to
address or fix it. Plans frequently turn into policies, if they are found to be effective.
Proposed Policy
In this exercise, we will link a policy proposal to a crime causation theory. When working for an
agency, city or private organization, the following would be included:
• The purpose of the policy. What is the underlying problem that necessitates the creation
of a policy?
• What is the overarching theory that is guiding the creation of the policy?
• What are the anticipated benefits?
• Provide a comparison of the benefits and disadvantages of the proposed policy.
• Provide an action plan that shows how it will be implemented.
Whenever you make a proposal, you will get proponents, as well as opponents, of your proposal.
Some people will agree with you and some will disagree. You’ll need to be prepared to describe
the advantages of your policy proposal, as well as being prepared to counter the alleged
disadvantages to your proposal. A policy proposal will be made to the stakeholders – and you
will have to determine who the stakeholders are. Your stakeholders could be city commissioners,
jail commanders, community activists or other key players who have a stake in the outcome of
your policy, if it is implemented.
Social Environment
Let’s return to the issue of crime causation. What is it? Crime causation simply explains the
causes of crime. In this context, the roots of crime are oftentimes found in the social
environment, which includes:
• The family
• Schools
Unit 3 Discussion Board
How to Write a Policy
2
• Peer groups
• The workplace
• The community
• Society
Is there a crime fighting strategy (or a policy) that would directly or indirectly address any of
these root causes?
Crime Causation Theories
Crime causation has six different theories that describe crime. Click on any of the following to
read more about them:
1. Strain Theory 4. Labeling Theory
2. Social Learning Theory 5. Social Disorganization Theory
3. Control Theory 6. Critical Theories
These theories focus on different features of the social environment and they provide different
reasons why the social environment causes crime.
Root Problems
Some crime causation theories focus on individual differences in crime, while others explain
group differences in crime. For example, some communities have higher crime rates than other
communities. My city may have different crime causation roots than your city. Cities may have
similarities, but no two cities are exactly alike. You may know exactly what the crime causation
issues are in your neighborhood or in your city because you live there and it’s abundantly clear
to you, but it might not be clear to outsiders.
Identify Root Crime Problems
What kind of a crime fighting strategy can be developed that is based on crime causation? The
answer might be different for each city. Here are sample problems and suggested policies:
Problem: First, identify a problem that needs to be fixed.
Policy: Second, develop a policy (or a plan) to address it.
That’s the basic premise. Now let’s expand it to a specific problem. What follows are five
samples:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDBbyDpQFHaPxY3yu2sBfqU-qpF6Wbsp/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SS6KFnWatlN20RNcMBJaOg82E9fUmOxQ/view?usp=sharing
http://law.jrank.org/pages/815/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Social-learning-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/818/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Social-disorganization-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/816/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Control-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/819/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Critical-theories.html
3
Problem: A neighborhood has a drug problem
Policy: The plan or the policy will be for the police department to put undercover
detectives in the neighborhood to develop confidential informants to find out who the
drug dealers are. Then they can be arrested.
~
Problem: A city has a domestic violence problem.
Policy: The plan is to have the police department sponsor domestic violence seminars at
city hall and work in tandem with the media to educate the public on domestic violence
awareness.
~
Problem: The city high school has a 40% drop-out rate among students. That will
eventually lead to higher unemployment and more crime.
Policy: The proposal is to have the city commission encourage the school board to
develop “alternative schools” that will help struggling students to graduate from high
school and maybe attend a vocational-technical school where they can learn an
employable skill.
~
Problem: The city has a high unemployment rate (that will eventually lead to crime).
What can we do about high unemployment?
Policy: Let’s ask the city commission to create major tax breaks for any industry or
company that is willing to relocate to our city. Once the company relocates to our city,
they will invariably employ our city residents, which will then reduce unemployment,
which will indirectly reduce crime.
We’ve identified a problem and we’ve offered a proposal to fix it. Our proposal may not work,
but at least we’re trying to fix the problem. If at first you don’t succeed, then try try again.
Innovative Proposals
These are different crime causation factors that must be addressed in unique and innovative
ways. Solutions are not a one-size-fits-all formula. Proposed solutions need to be developed that
focus on whatever crime causation factors you identify in your community. You might be
surprised at how much you actually know – because you live in your community. It’s going to be
4
up to people like you to identify problems and then offer proposed solutions to fix them. It’s not
necessarily up to others. It begins first with us. You have the power to be a mover and a shaker.
How to Write a Policy
Don’t be intimidated by the word policy. A policy is simply a written plan that addresses a
problem. Here are the basic steps for creating a policy:
1. PROBLEM: Every policy begins with an identified problem that needs to be fixed.
2. IDEA: From there, an idea is developed on how to fix or address the problem.
3. PLAN: That idea is morphed into a written draft or plan for others to read.
4. POLICY: A written plan becomes policy if it is adopted by a chief, sheriff, city
commission or by whoever is in charge.
That’s the basic process for policy creation.
Policies Prevent Problems
Policies either prevent or solve problems. Almost every policy was created because of a problem
that had to be fixed. Having a written policy helps future employees or people to keep out of
trouble. It’s sort of like the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution, which was
written in 1776, helps future citizens, government officials and lawyers to remember certain
things – and if we remember those things, then the nation will remain free, but if we forget and
dismiss those Constitutional policies, then we will re-experience the same issues that our
forefathers had in the 1700s. Written policies are designed to prevent or to solve problems.
Know your Stakeholders
When you design a policy proposal, make sure that you know who your audience or stakeholders
are. Click here to a PowerPoint that discusses how to write a policy brief. Do not read the entire
thing – just speed-read it or scroll through it to get some general ideas.
APA citation:
(Hale, 2019)
APA reference:
Hale, E. (2019). How to write a policy. [Unit 3]. Retrieved from
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=s
haring
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0QmECZPnLPhQlI0OEZPclM4YTA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=sharing
1
by Dr. Edward Hale
Posted Oct 14, 2019
The Unit 3 Discussion Board (DB) is an exploration of policy writing – and the reasons they are
created.
Policies Address Problems
In your criminal justice career, it is quite possible that you will be tasked with developing a
crime reduction strategy that is based on a crime causation theory. Whether you are in a public
agency or in a private corporation, crime reduction issues are frequently tied to funding sources
of problems. First, the root problem must be identified. Second, a plan must be developed to
address or fix it. Plans frequently turn into policies, if they are found to be effective.
Proposed Policy
In this exercise, we will link a policy proposal to a crime causation theory. When working for an
agency, city or private organization, the following would be included:
• The purpose of the policy. What is the underlying problem that necessitates the creation
of a policy?
• What is the overarching theory that is guiding the creation of the policy?
• What are the anticipated benefits?
• Provide a comparison of the benefits and disadvantages of the proposed policy.
• Provide an action plan that shows how it will be implemented.
Whenever you make a proposal, you will get proponents, as well as opponents, of your proposal.
Some people will agree with you and some will disagree. You’ll need to be prepared to describe
the advantages of your policy proposal, as well as being prepared to counter the alleged
disadvantages to your proposal. A policy proposal will be made to the stakeholders – and you
will have to determine who the stakeholders are. Your stakeholders could be city commissioners,
jail commanders, community activists or other key players who have a stake in the outcome of
your policy, if it is implemented.
Social Environment
Let’s return to the issue of crime causation. What is it? Crime causation simply explains the
causes of crime. In this context, the roots of crime are oftentimes found in the social
environment, which includes:
• The family
• Schools
Unit 3 Discussion Board
How to Write a Policy
2
• Peer groups
• The workplace
• The community
• Society
Is there a crime fighting strategy (or a policy) that would directly or indirectly address any of
these root causes?
Crime Causation Theories
Crime causation has six different theories that describe crime. Click on any of the following to
read more about them:
1. Strain Theory 4. Labeling Theory
2. Social Learning Theory 5. Social Disorganization Theory
3. Control Theory 6. Critical Theories
These theories focus on different features of the social environment and they provide different
reasons why the social environment causes crime.
Root Problems
Some crime causation theories focus on individual differences in crime, while others explain
group differences in crime. For example, some communities have higher crime rates than other
communities. My city may have different crime causation roots than your city. Cities may have
similarities, but no two cities are exactly alike. You may know exactly what the crime causation
issues are in your neighborhood or in your city because you live there and it’s abundantly clear
to you, but it might not be clear to outsiders.
Identify Root Crime Problems
What kind of a crime fighting strategy can be developed that is based on crime causation? The
answer might be different for each city. Here are sample problems and suggested policies:
Problem: First, identify a problem that needs to be fixed.
Policy: Second, develop a policy (or a plan) to address it.
That’s the basic premise. Now let’s expand it to a specific problem. What follows are five
samples:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDBbyDpQFHaPxY3yu2sBfqU-qpF6Wbsp/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SS6KFnWatlN20RNcMBJaOg82E9fUmOxQ/view?usp=sharing
http://law.jrank.org/pages/815/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Social-learning-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/818/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Social-disorganization-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/816/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Control-theory.html
http://law.jrank.org/pages/819/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Critical-theories.html
3
Problem: A neighborhood has a drug problem
Policy: The plan or the policy will be for the police department to put undercover
detectives in the neighborhood to develop confidential informants to find out who the
drug dealers are. Then they can be arrested.
~
Problem: A city has a domestic violence problem.
Policy: The plan is to have the police department sponsor domestic violence seminars at
city hall and work in tandem with the media to educate the public on domestic violence
awareness.
~
Problem: The city high school has a 40% drop-out rate among students. That will
eventually lead to higher unemployment and more crime.
Policy: The proposal is to have the city commission encourage the school board to
develop “alternative schools” that will help struggling students to graduate from high
school and maybe attend a vocational-technical school where they can learn an
employable skill.
~
Problem: The city has a high unemployment rate (that will eventually lead to crime).
What can we do about high unemployment?
Policy: Let’s ask the city commission to create major tax breaks for any industry or
company that is willing to relocate to our city. Once the company relocates to our city,
they will invariably employ our city residents, which will then reduce unemployment,
which will indirectly reduce crime.
We’ve identified a problem and we’ve offered a proposal to fix it. Our proposal may not work,
but at least we’re trying to fix the problem. If at first you don’t succeed, then try try again.
Innovative Proposals
These are different crime causation factors that must be addressed in unique and innovative
ways. Solutions are not a one-size-fits-all formula. Proposed solutions need to be developed that
focus on whatever crime causation factors you identify in your community. You might be
surprised at how much you actually know – because you live in your community. It’s going to be
4
up to people like you to identify problems and then offer proposed solutions to fix them. It’s not
necessarily up to others. It begins first with us. You have the power to be a mover and a shaker.
How to Write a Policy
Don’t be intimidated by the word policy. A policy is simply a written plan that addresses a
problem. Here are the basic steps for creating a policy:
1. PROBLEM: Every policy begins with an identified problem that needs to be fixed.
2. IDEA: From there, an idea is developed on how to fix or address the problem.
3. PLAN: That idea is morphed into a written draft or plan for others to read.
4. POLICY: A written plan becomes policy if it is adopted by a chief, sheriff, city
commission or by whoever is in charge.
That’s the basic process for policy creation.
Policies Prevent Problems
Policies either prevent or solve problems. Almost every policy was created because of a problem
that had to be fixed. Having a written policy helps future employees or people to keep out of
trouble. It’s sort of like the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution, which was
written in 1776, helps future citizens, government officials and lawyers to remember certain
things – and if we remember those things, then the nation will remain free, but if we forget and
dismiss those Constitutional policies, then we will re-experience the same issues that our
forefathers had in the 1700s. Written policies are designed to prevent or to solve problems.
Know your Stakeholders
When you design a policy proposal, make sure that you know who your audience or stakeholders
are. Click here to a PowerPoint that discusses how to write a policy brief. Do not read the entire
thing – just speed-read it or scroll through it to get some general ideas.
APA citation:
(Hale, 2019)
APA reference:
Hale, E. (2019). How to write a policy. [Unit 3]. Retrieved from
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=s
haring
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0QmECZPnLPhQlI0OEZPclM4YTA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0_l6leNtuRYwf72SwJuXWKkprkw_EoC/view?usp=sharing