I have always been a firm believer that if you want to prevent crime, you have to first understand the motivations behind it. This is not the same as agreeing with the motivations, or thinking that the motivations are justified in any way, but understanding helps you figure out patterns, make changes and predict events and locations where crime will take place. It's not foolproof, nor is it going to prevent all crimes, but it does give you a grounding for how you are going to approach similar crimes in the future and the best way to deal with the people behind them.
This approach is not easy, and it becomes especially difficult after a crime that a sane and reasonable person will find impossible to understand. The bombings at the Boston Marathon are an example of a crime that most people are unable to comprehend. I know that I can't figure out what anyone hoped to accomplish by bombing the finish line at a celebrated international event. The marathon is something that brings out entire families, has historical resonance and promotes running and a healthier lifestyle. It's an event that is a positive overall and something which should be celebrated the world over. Then this week, someone destroyed it. Hard as it is, now someone has to figure out why.
Clearly, there is a reason, whether or not we understand it. It was an attack that required enough planning to make bombs and plant them at specific locations. Figuring out that planning is also important, since knowing how it was accomplished is necessary to understand how to prevent a similar bombing. Since it was not a simple crime of opportunity it's going to be much more important to know what prompted the attack and the steps they took.
There have been people who have called for more security, more searches and a greater police presence. That is an understandable reaction, but it is not actually helpful. Searches do not work if you do not know what you are searching for, and increased security is a waste of time if that security isn't trained to recognize credible threats. The majority of people would never think of destroying a major marathon, but it's the majority that are going to be affected by poorly planned security, or an approach that tries to prevent crime with brute force rather than any clear concept of what they are trying to prevent. It's better to cut out the bad element with a scalpel than with a meat cleaver, because you don't want to do as much damage as any potential attack.
Understanding past crimes might not prevent every crime in the future, and we may see another bombing like the one which occurred in Boston. However, if we don't try to figure out these events, we are guaranteeing that we will see another bombing, because we would not be able to recognize warning signs, understand patterns or learn what we are up against.
I don't envy those who have to investigate this crime, they have to understand why an individual or group would spend a great deal of effort to destroy an event which is a celebrated and popular part of Boston's culture. The reason might seem incomprehensible to most of us, but until we know what it is, we will be unable to keep ourselves safe at future events.
