Describe the "accelerators" of crime

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

First, substance abuse (including both illicit drugs and alcohol) is a major factor in crime and violence. However, most police agencies remain reactive to the drug trade. They sweep street corners, arrest users and low-level dealers, rely on specialists (narcotics units) to assume primary responsibility for drug-law enforcement, and participate in regional task forces. Police leaders must "think outside the box" in the future in response to a changing drug market. All agencies will need excellent problem-solving skills and a well-planned strategic approach to deal with the drug trade; they must teach employees about market analysis and forecasting in the drug trade. In addition to drugs and alcohol, another crime accelerator – guns – has become both a criminal justice and a public-health problem; firearms are still the weapons most frequently used for murder and are the weapons of choice in nearly two-thirds of all murders. Strategies and programs to reduce gun violence include interrupting sources of illegal guns, deterring illegal possession and carrying of guns, and responding to illegal gun use.