NCJ Number
161503
Date Published
1993
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This evaluation of the Aurora-Joliet Neighborhood-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Demonstration Project assesses the impact of the project on local businesses.
Abstract
A variety of data-collection strategies were used, including self-report questionnaires, telephone surveys, archival data analysis, crime records analysis, in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, participant observations, and document analysis. The impact evaluation addressed effects on police officers, police management, residents in the target neighborhoods, and rates of crime-related problems. The evaluation consists of four volumes, and this volume (III) focuses on the impact of the program on local businesses. Based on a survey, the findings show that overall, businesses in both communities are apparently satisfied with the neighborhood as a place to do businesses. Most of the businesses had heard of the neighborhood-oriented policing program. Since there was no control group, an estimation of the effects of community policing on businesses was difficult. The evaluation reports changes that occurred between the pretest and posttest and note any obvious threats to validity. Although businesses did not report major and minor crimes to be a significant problem for themselves, they perceived that crime was a significant problem for businesses as a whole. Although the findings are promising, study limitations suggest caution in interpreting the results. 22 tables