ABSTRACT
For environmental criminologists, 'opportunity makes the thief' is more than just a popular saying; it is the cornerstone of their approach. They believe that if opportunity increases so will crime. More important, they also believe that if opportunity is reduced crime will decline, which is why they advocate the situational prevention measures discussed later in this manual. To see if you agree that opportunity (and temptation) is a cause of crime, consider the situation suggested by Gloria Laycock and Nick Tilley:
Suppose all situational controls were to be abandoned: no locks, no custom controls, cash left for parking in an open pot for occasional collection, no library checkouts, no baggage screening at airports, no ticket checks at tram stations, no traffic lights, etc., would there be no change in the volume of crime and disorder?
If you answer that, of course, crime and disorder would increase, then you too think opportunity is a cause of crime. Incredibly most criminologists would not agree. They believe that opportunity can only determine when and where crime occurs, not whether it occurs. In their view, whether crime occurs is wholly dependent on offenders' propensities and these propensities collectively determine the volume of crime in society.