Memorandum on Theories and Data

Prior to beginning this assignment, please ensure that you complete  the assigned readings in the Elliott and Fagin (2017) text and that you  review Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps (Links to an external site.). In Chapter 3 of The Prevention of Crime,  Elliott and Fagin indicate that crime prevention programs and  approaches for law enforcement have largely drawn from deterrence  theories and rational choice theories. Specifically, Elliott and Fagin  state that “deterrence and rational choice theories have been the main  theoretical perspectives guiding crime prevention, particularly as  undertaken by law enforcement agents” (2017, Sec. 3.2, para. 6). Elliott  and Fagin (2017) explore routine activities theory and discuss life  course theories, which include strain theory, social learning theory,  social control theory, and integrated theory. Elliott and Fagan (2017)  also review connections between theory and data in Chapter 3. In this  assignment, you will create a three-part memorandum for your supervisor  in which you research a crime prevention program or a strategy for a  crime prevention program, utilizing the format of an annotated  bibliography. You will then assess the effectiveness of the crime  prevention program or strategy and consider how theories may provide  context for approaches to crime prevention.

Assignment Overview

You have been directed by your supervisor to prepare a memorandum  which includes theories, data, and research findings that relate to a  crime prevention program or strategy. Your research must include one  scholarly article published within the past five years and one credible  resource (website or online resource from a reputable source) that  includes data on crime that relates to the crime prevention program or  strategy. Use the Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) document for guidance. It is highly recommended that you view the Ashford University Library’s Database Search Tips (Links to an external site.) tutorial to aid you in finding articles written in the last five years.

You will then record your research in the format of an Annotated Bibliography. Refer to the elements of an Annotated Bibliography (Links to an external site.) and/or the Annotated Bibliography Tutorial (Links to an external site.) video for more information. Using the same headers as those in the Sample Annotated Bibliography (Links to an external site.),  fill-out the sections with information that pertains to each of the two  selected resources (one scholarly and one credible), all contained in  the memo to your supervisor. (It is recommended that you review the  Ashford Writing Center’s Writing a Business Memo (Links to an external site.) resource and the Sample Professional/Business Memo (Links to an external site.)).

Research and Evaluation

Once you have conducted your research, your memorandum should include  the following bulleted elements with respect to the selected journal  article and credible material.

• Summarize the scholarly resource, stating the type of crime  prevention program or strategy that is being addressed in the article.
• Analyze key findings and recommendations.
• Relate crime data from a credible source to the crime prevention program or strategy addressed in the selected article.
• Assess the effectiveness of the crime prevention program or strategy  discussed in the article with support from data from the selected  article and/or data from a credible source.

Cite the source in APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.), which is located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course.

• Include in-text citations that refer to the course text as well as a  minimum of one credible resource consisting of a federal or state  government website that includes content relevant to current crime  prevention programs or practices. You can learn more about scholarly and  credible resources within the Ashford University Writing Center’s Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) 

Theory Application

The memorandum must compare and contrast how and to what extent each  of the following theoretical approaches, drawn from Chapter 3 of the  Elliott and Fagin (2017) text, could support the crime prevention  strategy addressed in the selected article:

• General deterrence theory
• Specific deterrence theory
• Routine Activities theory

Next, compare and contrast how and to what extent each of the below  theories, drawn from the life course approach discussed in Chapter 3 of  the Elliott and Fagin (2017) text, could support the crime prevention  program or strategy addressed in the selected article:

• Strain theory
• Social learning theory
• Social control theory
• Integrated theory

Finally, and although more than one theory may be relevant and  applicable, recommend one of the foregoing seven theories that would  best inform the crime prevention program or strategy in your selected  crime prevention program. Submit your memorandum through Waypoint.

The Memorandum on Theories and Data

• Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including  title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as  outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) 
• Must include a separate title page with the following: 
  • Title of Memorandum
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

• Must use at least one scholarly source and one credible source in addition to the course text. 
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you  have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this  assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the  final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a  particular assignment.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) 

Must include a separate references page that is formatted according  to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.