Ex-offender perceptions of criminal opportunities (theft from a motor vehicle) in Blackfriars

Coulton, JA; Jackson, W; Jeffery, R; Patel, T; Dennis, A; Smith, G

Abstract

Eighteen ex-offenders and 24 students were interviewed about their experiences as perpetrators, victims and beneficiaries of acts of theft. The project specifically addressed the crime of theft from or of a motor vehicle (TMV) in the inner-city area of Blackfriars. Interviews with ex-offenders’ concentrated upon their motives for engaging in TMV, their perceptions of areas of Blackfriars as an opportune site for TMV, and their perceptions of attempts to control TMV in the area. Interviews with students considered their experiences as victims of theft and as recipients of stolen goods. The research study was situated in the broader academic literature on crime and deviance in the contemporary city. Of particular relevance was research on ‘residualisation’, which suggests that historical trends over the past 40 years in the UK have left a residue of ‘less enabled’ people living in social housing in less desirable urban areas. Also pertinent are the effects of ‘studentification’ on inner-city localities. The periodic influxes and exits by significant numbers of students each year can fragment established communities and generate resentment on the basis of disparities in wealth and lifestyle. These broad processes of residualisation and studentification set the stage for the study’s specific focus on TMV in Blackfriars.

Citation

Coulton, J., Jackson, W., Jeffery, R., Patel, T., Dennis, A., & Smith, G. Ex-offender perceptions of criminal opportunities (theft from a motor vehicle) in Blackfriars

• Report Type: Project Report
• Deposit Date: Oct 27, 2011
• Additional Information: Funders : Salford CDRP