NCJ Number
11610
Date Published
1972
Length
188 pages
Annotation
RISK OF CRIME AND PERCEIVED FEAR OF CRIME WERE STUDIED IN 64 PARKS (FOUR IN EACH OF 16 CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY) INCLUDING MINI-PARKS, NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, AND COMMUNITY PARKS.
Abstract
THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES OF EACH PARK WERE INVENTORIED. A SAMPLING OF USERS AND NON-USERS WAS PERFORMED AT ALL SITES FOR ATTITUDES ABOUT CRIME IN PARKS. CRIME DATA ON PART ONE STRANGER-TO-STRANGER INDEX CRIMES (MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, ASSAULT) WERE ANALYZED FOR 20 OF THE PARKS IN FIVE CITIES. LITTLE CRIME WAS FOUND IN PARKS. FOR THE 20 PARK NEIGHBORHOODS, THERE WERE 7,858 CRIMES OF WHICH 2,633 WERE COMMITTED OUTDOORS ON THE STREETS AROUND THE PARKS AND ONLY 108 IN THE PARKS. THE ATTITUDINAL SURVEY DISCLOSED THAT SOME PEOPLE PERCEIVED PARKS AS DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF PARKS. PARKS ARE UNDER-UTILIZED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY RELEVANT. CERTAIN GROUPS, ELDERLY, BLACKS, TEENAGE GIRLS, ARE POORLY SERVED. THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT PARKS BE MADE MORE RELEVANT AND SATISFYING, THUS ATTRACTIVE MORE NON-USERS AND INCREASING THE INDIVIDUAL'S SENSE OF SECURITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)