ABSTRACT
Criminological theory is of little help in dealing with crime in the real world because it finds causes in distant factors, such as childrearing practices, genetic makeup, and psychological or social processes. These are mostly beyond the reach of everyday practice, and their combination is extremely complicated for those who want to understand crime, and do something about it. But you will find that the theories and concepts of environmental criminology (and of the new discipline of crime science) are much more helpful to everyday police work. This is because they deal with the immediate situational causes of crime events, including temptations and opportunities and inadequate protection of targets. You will be a stronger member of the problem-oriented team if you are familiar with these concepts.
