I rated bike theft as 3 because a bicycle can cost hundreds of pounds and again I think that most people would prefer to have parking problems regularly than have expensive and important property stolen once or twice.
I rated residents not being able to park in front of their houses as 4 because although it would not seem like a big problem it may be happening every day for a number of years which would become incredibly frustrating. Also, it affects a large number of people.
I rated teenagers breaking into the local school as 5 because it is not a huge problem, but it would be expensive and greatly annoying to the school, especially with the cuts the government are making.
I rated parking outside shops as 6 because although traffic jams are irritating, most people accept them as an annoying part of life, and it would be impossible to prevent all traffic jams.
Solutions
Solution A:
Solution A would be particularly effective on problems 2, 4, 5 and 6, because although the money spread may not show it, all these problems would have very effective solutions. There would be an even better solution to problem 2, though, CCTV.
The problems that Solution A helps to solve are smaller long term, continuous ones that affect a large number of people. It does not have a very big impact on problems 1 and 3, which are larger problems which affect a small number of people at any one time, although 3 is a growing problem. Most of the solutions are quite positive and about prevention rather than punishment for each crime.
Solution B:
Solution B would be particularly effective on problems 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, which are both more problems and problems higher on the list then Solution A would solve.
However, the solutions Solution B would provide are nearly all negative and about punishment rather than prevention. CCTV would also help prevent crimes, but it is a controversial solution that many people feel is an intrusion of privacy. Many CCTV systems are about scaring people into not committing the crime and do not have all the CCTV cameras on 24/7, or the CCTV footage is not monitored 24/7, so they may not be as effective in capturing the perpetrator of the crime. Therefore you could argue that they are about prevention not punishment and are in fact a more positive as well as effective solution, but the impact they have on the neighbourhood is often negative: other people see signs saying there are CCTV cameras and assume it is an unsafe or rough neighbourhood and therefore people do not view it as a nice or sought-after place and house prices go down. Equally, you could also argue that with less crime due to CCTV cameras house prices will go up and there will be a more positive view of the neighbourhood. Also, it can generate negative views toward the council from people within the neighbourhood who are opposed to CCTV.
I think that Solution A would therefore be the more positive solution and I would put that one into place.
Positioning of solutions
Supermarket
Hospital
Hair dresser
Cinema
Repair shop
Stock item alarm tags
Traffic warden
Residents parking scheme
Key:
Pubs
Restaurants
Take-a-ways
Shops
College
School
Play parks and entertainment
Educate on property safety
I would place a play park across the road from the East Oxford Primary School, and a youth centre off the B480, because the first is near the primary school where children would be, and the latter because it is accessible. I would put stock item alarm tags in all the shops on the high street, because that is where most shops are. I would put traffic wardens all the way up the high street, because that is where most traffic occurs. They would be spread out I would put a residents parking scheme in all the residential streets branching off of Cowley road, because that is where people park illegally. I would educate students on property safety in colleges on educate landlords when they apply to become a landlord, because that insures they will hear it.
