The Executive Challenges of Protective and Care Services Institutions in Mazandaran Province in Crime Prevention

Institutions of protection and care services were established with the aim of involving citizens in the establishment of security, which face challenges and obstacles in carrying out their goals; therefore, the main question of the present study is "What are the executive challenges of protection and care institutions in crime prevention?"

In terms of its objectives the present research is of an applied research type, which has been conducted in a mixed method. The research method in the qualitative phase is content analysis and in the quantitative phase is survey and Delphi method. In the qualitative phase, the data were collected using a semi-structured interview and in the quantitative phase using the Delphi questionnaire. The statistical population in qualitative phase consisted of law enforcement elites in the intelligence and preventive police sectors. 16 individuals were selected using purposive sampling method. In the quantitative phase of the study, all samples were selected. Data analysis method in the qualitative phase was content analysis method- theme analysis- and in the quantitative phase it was descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage and mean score, and to determine the degree of consensus of Delphi group members, Kendall agreement was employed.

In the qualitative phase, 43 challenges of protection and care services institutions in crime prevention were counted in the form of 17 sets. In the quantitative phase, after performing the four stages of the Delphi questionnaire and achieving the Kendall agreement coefficient of 0.790, the challenges were prioritized.

"Weaknesses in laws and regulations" and "weaknesses in culture-making" are among the main challenges in establishing neighborhood guards, which, if the officials pay attention to them, will make it possible to use more of the capacity of these institutions in line with their goals.