Analysing the Levels of Fear of Crime Before and After the Implementation of Security Box: a Community Policing Case Study in Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Community policing plays an important role in Japanese policing. One prefecture in Japan installed a security box to facilitate community-based crime prevention activities, encouraging interactive partnerships with community neighbours. This study aimed to determine the time-course impact of the implementation of the security box on fear of crime. A questionnaire survey was conducted before, immediately after, and a few years after the implementation of the security box at two different locations. A series of analyses revealed that (1) the number of respondents who knew about the security box, passed by the security box, and saw security advisors staffed at the security box increased from immediately after the introduction to three and a half years after the introduction, (2) levels of fear of crime increased from Wave 1 to Wave 3, and (3) the security box was not associated with levels of fear of crime. Although this study did not provide empirical support for the effects of the security box on lowering fear, many respondents expect its effectiveness in improving neighbourhood safety and community crime prevention; moreover, it is necessary to determine its long-term impact.