The Conjunction of Criminal Opportunity: a Framework for Crime Reduction Toolkits

In 2001 the Home Office commissioned ‘toolkits’ for crime prevention practitioners. This companion document, for the UK Crime Reduction Website, describes the Conjunction of Criminal Opportunity (CCO) conceptual framework and suite of definitions Paul Ekblom developed to rigorously integrate disparate theories of crime, to guide researchers, policymakers and practitioners. CCO provides a map of fundamental crime prevention principles, bridging ‘cultural divides’ between a) offender-oriented approaches to crime and its prevention, versus situational ones (making crime harder/riskier); and b) enforcement-based versus ‘civil’ interventions