Planning a Successful Crime Prevention Project

• NCJ Number: 170024
• Date Published: April 1998
• Length: 28 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Youth in Action Series
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Youth-Oriented Material

Annotation

Guidance on how young people can plan a successful community crime prevention project is offered, possible project activities are identified, and examples of projects young people have planned and implemented are cited.

Abstract

The first step of the planning cycle is to decide what project to conduct in the community, and this choice depends heavily on community needs. Appropriate activities may include consulting information sources, surveying the community, assessing community assets, and selecting a problem area to address. The second step of the planning cycle focuses on how to address community problems and on the importance of an operational plan. Subsequent planning steps encompass lining up resources, recruiting volunteers, finding project materials, acting on the operational plan, and monitoring and evaluating. Possible project activities are identified, such as victim/witness assistance, entertainment, escorts for senior citizens, teaching, home security, Neighborhood Watch, shoplifting education, summer recreation, community cleanups, telephone support, drug use prevention, counseling, vandalism prevention, teen courts, fairs and displays, contests, mentoring, and conflict resolution and mediation. Projects implemented in Iowa, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and California are briefly described. National resources for crime prevention and community service projects are listed, and worksheets to facilitate project planning and implementation are included. 1 table and 2 figures