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In comparison to more common crimes like robbery of cash-in-transit, the idea of bank-related robbery—also known as "associated robbery"—has received very little attention. Even though the crime of bank-associated robbery has seen a large rise in instances and related losses, there is still little to no scientific research on the topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and characterize the modus operandi (MO) employed in bank-related robberies, a crime phenomenon that appears to be specific to South Africa. Eleven participants who are subject matter experts (SMEs) on the topic participated in in-depth qualitative interviews to learn more about the phenomena. According to the report, bank-related robberies fall into two primary categories: robberies that occur before cash deposits and those that occur after cash withdrawals. The police do not categorize bank-related robberies in the same way that the banking industry does, which is the biggest obstacle to preventative efforts. In order to address the aforementioned issue, this study adds to the body of knowledge on the subject in order to inform prevention initiatives. The results also show that carrying a lot of cash increases the risk of becoming a victim of crime for bank customers. Therefore, it is advised that bank customers carry the least amount of cash possible on them to make themselves less appealing to robbers.

The widespread fear of crime and its detrimental consequences have propelled various research studies on the correlates of fear of crime. An impressive body of knowledge has accumulated, which informs both scholars and policymakers of the correlates of fear of crime. However, very little is known about the fear of crime among immigrant populations. Fear of crime associated with immigrants remains a global phenomenon, which drives political rhetoric, media discourse, policymaking, criminal justice, and immigration control and enforcement. The perceived association between immigrants and criminality is a phenomenon with deep historical roots that transcends any particular culture. It is linked to ethnocentrism and othering, wherein dominant groups react to their exposure to alien cultural practices by criminalizing those practices and dehumanizing the immigrants who practice them. The study aims to explore the level of fear of crime among illicit immigrants. Literature analysis was adopted as a methodology to explore the factors impacting the level of fear and the places where illicit immigrants are likely to be victimised are further discussed. The study contributes significantly to the finding that higher crime levels in countries increase the fear of crime; however, they do not affect feelings of unsafety. Social protection expenditure proves to be an important determinant of both fears of crime and feelings of unsafety. Moreover, distrust in the police, generalized social distrust, and perceived ethnic threat induce fear of crime as well as feelings of unsafety. When considered in the context of social harm, immigrants’ relationship to crime and criminality becomes more complex. The study recommends that protective factors, such as neighborhood informal social control, social networks, cultural norms, and expectations about migration and life overall, may contribute to the lower rates of crime and violence among illicit immigrant groups.

This article examines municipalities on implementation and coordination of social crime prevention programmes in addressing social issues. The White Paper on Safety and Security (1998) clearly proposed that local government should be responsible for implementing and coordinating social crime prevention programmes within areas of concern. Therefore, it is argued that the provincial government is closest to citizens and inimitably placed to contribute to social crime prevention initiatives and readdress the delivery of services to deal with crime prevention successfully. There is little information about this matter in South Africa. This article will reveal the challenges municipalities and the department of social development face on social issues. There seems to be a repetition of social programmes in addressing social issues and there are no programmes targeting youth at risk, juvenile delinquency and child-headed households’ issues. The study concludes that the municipalities should consider the review in social crime prevention strategies to better align its programmes to the provincial mandates. Municipalities should further demonstrate regularly how it responds to social issues that might perpetuate the crime rate.