Crime Prevention: Approaches, Practices, and Evaluations, Eighth Edition

Crime Prevention: Approaches, Practices, and Evaluations, Eighth Edition. By Steven P. Lab. Anderson Publishing; elsevier.com; 464 pages; $55.95; also available as e-book.

In the eighth edition of Crime Prevention, Professor Steven Lab, director of the Criminal Justice Program at Bowling Green State University, sets out to update the research on crime prevention that he began 25 years ago. The book focuses more on situational prevention than the previous editions. The first three chapters offer an over­v­iew of the book and introduce the concepts of crime prevention and fear. The rest of the book is arranged in three sections, dealing with primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The book is also thoroughly referenced and provides a glossary and index for the reader.

College instructors will find this textbook easy to navigate and full of information that would assist in teaching a crime prevention course. Each chapter contains some Web sites that can be used for research and links to other reports that are mentioned throughout the chapters. The publisher also provides additional instructor resources, such as PowerPoint presentations for each chapter, as well as lesson plans and a test bank. In addition, students will have access to videos and case scenarios for each chapter.

Others will also find this book useful. For example, the chapter dealing with crime prevention in schools offers an introduction to crime prevention for nonsecurity personnel. Given the recent events in schools throughout the country, this chapter would benefit not only those responsible for developing a school security plan but also educators and parents, as it deals with such topics as bullying and conflict management resolution.

In the next edition, the book should explore the relationship between crime prevention and social media. While this edition of the book addresses mass media and how it relates to crime prevention, it hardly touches on the role of such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and You­Tube and other social media’s influence on crime. Crime Prevention is a well-written textbook that is best suited for classes on crime prevention.

Reviewer: James O’Sullivan, CPP, is a 14-year veteran of law enforcement and an adjunct professor at Pace University. He is vice chair of ASIS Westchester County Chapter and a member of the ASIS Law Enforcement Liaison Council.