What Can the Federal Government Do to Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities?

• NCJ Number: 172210
• Author(s): B, Jr Walker; C Wilson; A Blumstein; A Etzioni; R L Woodson L,; L W Sherman; J R Greene; D Kennedy; J Roehl; D Prothrow-Stith; R L Conner; T Dunworth; J P O'Connell
• Date Published: October 1998
• Length: 111 pages
• Agencies: NIJ

Annotation

Four panels present 13 papers that examine what the Federal Government can do to decrease crime and revitalize communities.

Abstract

Four papers focus on the context within which efforts to reduce crime and revitalize communities must be pursued. The thesis of one paper is that health conditions, the health status of populations, and the services available to address them are among the key determinants of community stability, economic viability, and the incidence of crime. Other papers in this panel consider economic shifts that will impact crime control and community revitalization, the context of recent changes in crime rates, and the mobilization of communities to revitalize themselves. The second panel presents three papers that address the roles of Federal, State, and local governments and communities in revitalizing neighborhoods and in addressing local public safety problems. The thesis of one paper is that to reduce crime and revitalize communities, it is necessary to develop a strategy that can effectively intervene in the cycle of violence before it claims the next generation. Another paper in this panel presents a plan for action to "cool the hot spots" of homicide. The third paper discusses strategies for crime control in communities. The third panel presents three papers on promising programs and approaches. Topics discussed include crime prevention as crime deterrence; public health strategies for violence prevention; and promising approaches to neighborhood safety, community revitalization, and crime control. The fourth panel presents three papers on research issues and implications for evaluation design. Topics covered are an integrated approach to promoting community revitalization, community crime analysis, and future directions for research and evaluation design. Notes and references accompany the papers.