Use instinct, common sense and action to reduce a criminal's opportunity to commit a crime

Crime prevention means being aware that a crime can occur, anticipating its form, location, time and victim, and taking action to reduce the chances of its happening.

There are three elements the criminal must possess for a crime to occur:

• Desire
• Ability
• Opportunity

You have no control over the first two elements. Whether a criminal has the desire or ability to commit the crime is solely up to him. However, you can have great control over, if not eliminate, the third element - opportunity.

Crime prevention is using instinct, common sense and actions to eliminate or greatly reduce the criminal's opportunity. There are practical, common sense precuations you can take to reduce the odds of becoming a victim of a crime. We all have a personal part to play regarding crime prevention.