Criminological Research and the Insurance Industry

A major objective of criminology must surely be to make a difference to levels of crime—by helping with an understanding of its causes and by suggesting ways in which it can be prevented. A problem faced by criminologists, though, is how to translate their research into crime prevention action. At least in the field of property crime, a delivery mechanism already exists in the shape of the insurance industry, which is uniquely positioned to motivate its clients to take crime prevention measures; the missing ingredient, on the part of the industry, is knowledge of the criminological research which might help insurers to direct their activities. This paper emphasises the importance of research into repeat victimisation and the identification of features which make properties vulnerable to crime, and makes a plea, in the interests of better delivery of crime prevention practice, for the opening of a dialogue between criminologists and the industry.