Neighbourhood Co-production of Protection: a Private Sector Response to Crime

Abstract

The movement to privatization involves numerous activities. As Hatry (1983, p. 53) has said, one recognized means of increasing the role of the private sector is the encouragement of self-help: ‘the government encourages individuals or groups such as neighbourhood associations, to undertake activities for their own benefit’. Percy (1979) has noted that neighbourhood associations have a potentially significant role to play in this move to privatization particularly as their activities relate to the co-production of protective services. Citizens are increasingly playing a role in producing what historically had been considered the output of government. Goldstein (1977, p. 62) suggested that ‘a 5 or 10 per cent increase in the involvement of all citizens in a community could possibly prove of much greater value in combating crime than a 50 or 60 per cent increase in the number of police officers or an equally large investment in technical equipment’. Parks et al. (1982, p. 186) refer to the role of the public in such situations as that of ‘consumer producers’ since individuals are contributing to the production of services being consumed. In other words, market-like forces are producing services traditionally conceived as governmental. While individuals may affiliate with a neighbourhood organization because of the solidary benefits they receive from socializing with their neighbours, they also produce protection for those in the neighbourhood.