Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BALKAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 14th ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING, İstanbul, Türkiye, 5 - 08 Ekim 2023, ss.144
BASED ON SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION THEORY, PREVENTING
AUTO-BATTERY THEFTS WITH PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING MODEL
AND SARA PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD
Arif Bozdemir
1, Belgin İzgi
2
1Bursa Uludag University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Science, Forensic Science, Bursa,
Turkey
2Bursa Uludag University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Chemistry, Bursa,Turkey
502240008@ogr.uludag.edu.tr
Background and aim: Combating crime is a two-pronged effort, involving preventive activities
to avoid crimes from occurring and investigative elucidate crimes after they happen and bring
the perpetrators to justice. The Broken Windows Theory, Rational Choice Theory, Routine
Activities Theory, and Situational Crime Prevention Theory are crime theories that offer effective
perspectives to law enforcement units combating crime on the streets, models such as
Community-Oriented Policing, Problem-Oriented Policing (POP), and COMPSTAT. The POP
employs the problem-solving method known as SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response,
Assessment), serves as a valuable guide during the activities of law enforcement units in crime
prevention. In our presentation, we will discuss our study at preventing auto battery theft based
on the POP and share two significant examples of its outcomes.
Method and material: The study utilized POP and SARA. Data from property crimes that
occurred in the last year were categorized. Among these crime categories, auto battery theft
was addressed, and an action plan was prepared for its prevention and investigation. As part of
this action plan, various materials such as UV pens, labels, brochures were procured, and training
and promotional meetings were organized, culminating in a three-month long study
Conclusion: After the study, 7 batteries were found in the trunk of a van, and noticing the label
placed on them, the owner of the battery was reached. Subsequently, upon discovering that the
apprehended individual was involved in battery theft, they confessed to stealing the other
batteries from various locations. In another incident, our auto theft team encountered a labeled
battery at a second-hand auto parts store. Collaborating with the relevant team, they traced the
owner of the battery and determined that the vehicle was stolen, dismantled, and sold, leading
to the capture of the criminals
Discussion: Security units should take various steps based on the Situational Crime Prevention
Theory, POP and SARA to address and prevent recurring problems, and these efforts should
persist until the problem is resolved.
Keywords: Forensic Science, Problem-Oriented Policing, SARA, Battery The