Understanding how criminals think and behave is the first step in developing interventions that will prevent crime. This post identifies the most important information criminals do not want you to know.

This is the first in a series of articles that specifically focus on the beliefs and behaviors of local crime criminals. That is, those criminals that commit residential burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft etc. These articles will focus on what these criminals do not want you, or anyone else, to know.

Much of the information below regarding how and what criminals, and potential criminals, believe and behave was observed during a crime prevention program conducted between 2018 and 2020. Essentially, the project used ethnographical observations and conversations to gather information on the beliefs and behaviors of individuals and youth gangs in a Canberra suburb. You can review the findings of the research published in the Journal of Applied Security Research (see references below)

One caveat to be stressed prior to understanding the beliefs and behaviors described below, is that the beliefs and behaviors are of specially identified deviant groups. The specific views of the deviants may not seem or be accurate. However, it must be stressed that these are THEIR beliefs. So, for the individuals concerned, they are truth. This is important to remember, especially if crime prevention interventions are to be developed and implemented.

The first belief that will be outlined in this series, is that criminals do not want Councils, police, or anyone else to know, is that crime is NOT opportunistic. Or, at least not opportunistic in the way that the term has become in common usage. Criminals gather intelligence, plan and prepare for their crimes.

At present opportunistic crime seems to imply that criminals are randomly walking around and happen upon, for example, an open window into a house, and spontaneously seize this opportunity to illegally enter the house.

To overcome this, owners use what in criminology is called Environmental Crime Prevention methods to prevent this type of event from occurring. For example, owners are often told to keep their yards clear of tools that might be of use to a burglar. The idea being to make it harder for the burglar to break in.

In addition, crime prevention awareness campaigns run by Councils, often suggest the use of a variety of Situational Crime Prevention methods. For example, that residents should use alarms, locks on doors and windows, and be aware of who may be visiting their neighbors etc.

Both above-mentioned methodologies focus on changing the mindset of the criminal at the target location. In practice, this means that the criminal sees the open window, identifies that there may be an opportunity to break into the house. However, on closer inspection the criminal also sees that there is nothing to assist in getting into the window, or that there is a sturdy lock on the front door. The criminal, on analyzing the situation, decides that there is too much risk of being observed. The criminal determines not to break in.

Both these theories have been proven to work well in the past. However, recent research is showing that there are shortcomings with these methods. This is being brought about by the changing level of expertise of criminals.

For example, Armatige, and Chun, have found that experienced burglars can be attracted to houses that have additional security systems, or open and visible front yards. Also, Harding observed that criminals, even young and inexperienced ones, take considerable measures to plan, prepare and gather intelligence about their target well before entering the target site. For example, some of the measures observed included, taking video of the external target property which can be later reviewed, at a time of the criminals choosing, to identify any security systems in place. Then the criminals would plan how they would enter the property, where they would leave their getaway vehicles, the route they would take to escape if surprised, and the equipment they would need to enter the identified target house. Preparation would include, gathering the required equipment, preparing entry and exit methods, and putting a person in a lookout position, prior to entry onto a property.

Why don’t criminals want people to know about their level of planning?

Because with everyone else focusing on the criminal’s target, it leaves criminals with plenty of time to determine who and how they will attack. And how they will get away. Criminals understand that if people understood what they were doing when the criminal was conducting their planning and preparation, the criminal could be easily identified and compromised.

As Harding identified, when those responsible for protection of assets focus on criminal planning, preparation and intelligence gathering activities, results such as the 42% drop in burglary crime in Kambah ACT, can be achieved.

References

Armitage, R. (2018, June). A more reliable glimpse’ – Re-positioning the offender in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). Paper presented at the Australian Institute of Criminology Crime Prevention and Communities Conference.

Chun, Y., & Lee, J. (2013). Traces of occupancy and its effect upon burglars’ residential target selection. Social Sciences, 2(3), 135–141. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20130203.15

David J. R. Harding (2021): Using Ethnography to Identify Deviant Behaviors, for the Development of Crime Prevention Interventions, Journal of Applied Security Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/19361610.2021.1956268

Summary of using Ethnography to develop crime prevention interventions.

Anshin Consulting has published an Audio Presentation of the article “Using Ethnography to Identify Deviant Behaviors, for the Development of Crime Prevention Interventions.” Which was published in the Journal of Applied Security Research.

To download the Audio Power Point presentation, titled ‘Summary of using Ethnography to develop crime prevention interventions.’, follow the below link to the Research and Insights page of Anshin Consulting, then click on the article to download your copy of the Audio Presentation:

https://anshinconsulting.com/insights-and-research/.

To view the original article, follow this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19361610.2021.1956268?src=

David Harding’s paper on using Ethnography to identify deviant behaviors, then implementing crime prevention measures has been published in the Journal of Applied Security Research.

You can find the paper by following the below link:

Using Ethnography to Identify Deviant Behaviors, for the Development of Crime Prevention Interventions: Journal of Applied Security Research: Vol 0, No 0 (tandfonline.com)

Understanding the Criminal Development Pathway, the process that a criminal or terrorist undergoes prior to an attack, can provide opportunities to guide, counter or neutralise the criminal before they commit the crime.

The attack at Parramatta Police Head Quarters on Friday 2 October 2015 serves as a reminder of the development pathway that a criminal takes prior to making an actual attack. Using the incident that occurred at the Parramatta Police Head Quarters as a case study, and accepting that at the time of writing there is little evidence available to make educated judgements, it is possible to develop an understanding of the process that the perpetrator went through prior to his attack. It may also be possible to identify some measures that could have been utilised to guide, counter or neutralise the offender prior to that attack. The purpose of this article is to illustrate that by focusing on the criminal and their development pathway it is possible to guide counter or neutralise a criminal or terrorist prior to them making an attack.

As a brief outline, a criminal or a terrorist’s development commences within the communities that the person belongs to, where there is an acceptance of a particular criminal behaviour. From this point a person will seek out likeminded associates that share similar views to the person. Those views may develop a person’s intent to harm others. However, intent to harm others still requires the physical actions of planning, preparation and intelligence gathering if a successful attack is to be made. For the law enforcement and security professional, be it at policy or tactical level, it is imperative to understand this process. For understanding the process can lead to early identification of a threat actor, prior to that actor making an attack.

The first stage of a criminal’s development pathway commences with the community that the person comes from. In this case the offender, named Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, is believed to have been of Kurdish decent originating in eastern Iraq or western Iran. Some media reports state that it was assessed as unlikely that members of a ethnic group that is currently bearing the brunt of the attacks made by the Islamic State (IS) would undertake an attack in a Western country such as Australia. This reporting is unfortunate, as it does not take into account the fact that that particular area of Iraq and Iran is the birthplace of the violent Jihad Salifits terrorist group Ansar al Islam, which has close links to the tribes of that area. Ansar al Islam is currently still operating within the Kurdish Regional Governate of Iraq. It was also Ansar al Islam that was instrumental in the initial development of Al Qaeda in Iraq, which is now currently known as the Islamic State. If Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad origins lie within this community, then he almost certainly would have had acceptance to harm others, especially Westerners.

However, just because parts of a particular community accept criminal or terrorist behaviour, does not mean that the community will undertake that behaviour. It is therefore common in a criminal’s development to seek out likeminded persons within their community who have similar belief patterns to themselves. Again, using current media reports, it would appear that the individual perpetrator of the above incident had not come to the attention of police. However, several close associates had. Although difficult to prove at this point in time, it is likely that it was these close associates that may have turned the perpetrators intent into action.

However, intent alone does not necessarily transform into a crime. It requires the physical actions of planning, preparation and intelligence gathering to undertake a successful attack. In this case, media reports have identified that the perpetrator acquired a firearm, went to a mosque, and then travelled to the exact spot where he was able to make his attack. This shows that the perpetrator had indeed made a plan of the attack he was going to undertake, he appears to have prepared himself both physically and spiritually, and then proceeded to a identified location to make his attack. Once in location he appears to have waited for some time and in such a way that appeared so unusual that some witnesses were able to take pictures and video, which was reportedly uploaded to YouTube prior to the fatal shooting.

Of course understanding, and even identifying a criminal or terrorist’s development pathway may still not be sufficient in preventing a criminal attack. Measures must be put in place that will guide, counter or neutralise the perpetrator prior to an attack. Continuing to utilise the incident that occurred on Friday 2 October as a case study, the first stage for security professionals is to develop an understanding of the communities that may come into contact with facilities under their responsibility. Then, identify which communities may accept particular types of criminal behaviours, and develop ways to guide the community away from such belief systems. In this case, engagement with some segments of the local Kurdish community that illustrated the open nature of Australian society may have proved useful. In addition, closer attention may be required by both governments and facility holders to develop contacts within ‘at risk’ communities that may provide early identification of small groups of individuals that may develop more stringent intentions to harm others. And finally in the last line of defence, more attention may be required in the training of access control security guards. The current training often centres on reaction scenarios and drills, with primary focus on a person’s ability to access a facility. It may be prudent to enhance this training to include a focus on what is happening outside their area of responsibility.

Unfortunately, such a shift in thinking is away from the current research into the causal reason for criminal behaviour and the management of the likelihood of that behaviour. However, focus on the pathway that a criminal takes can lead to ways and means to guide, counter or neutralise that criminal prior to an attack.