ABSTRACT
To be effective, situational prevention must be focused upon a closely defined, specific form of crime or disorder. It depends critically upon: (1) the identification of the opportunity structure (or the facilitating conditions) for the form of crime in question and (2) a detailed understanding of how the crime is accomplished, or what is sometimes called the modus operandi. Script analysis is designed to assist with understanding the modus operandi by laying out the sequential steps in the completion of a crime. It does this by identifying the players involved at each step, and by describing their tasks, their skills and the tools they need. This information allows preventive measures to be directed to “pinch points” that will yield the best preventive results.
