Taking out the Interesting Bits? Problem Solving and Crime Prevention

National and international experience now leave no doubt that methods other than enforcement of criminal law are effective in reducing crime and associated harm. In particular, initiatives that are based on routine activity and situational theory, and those that concentrate on addressing specific, well-defined problems, have been demonstrated to have greater impact and to be less costly than "law-and-order" reactions. Despite this, problem solving and focused opportunity reduction have been comparatively neglected in Australian policy discourse. Drawing on the practical fieldwork experience of crime prevention students, this paper argues that attempts to apply opportunity reduction and problem-focused approaches often encounter obstacles and resistance not mentioned in mainstream accounts. Inclusion of these elements would ensure better understanding and appreciation of these approaches, and cement their place among strategies to challenge and displace law-and-order reactions to crime.