NCJ Number
94729
Date Published
1983
Length
64 pages
Annotation
Two national evaluations of the Community Anti-Crime (CAC) and the Comprehensive Crime Prevention (CCP) programs concluded that both programs were worthwhile that there were no conspicuous design weaknesses, and that they probably had some listing effects.
Abstract
The CAC was designed to provide resources to ongoing and newly created community groups for the purpose of organizing anticrime activities. It funded some 150 community-based organizations in 96 cities. The CCP was designed to complement CAC by providing city-wide organizations with resources to coordinate anticrime activities. It funded agencies of local government in seven cities. The two programs were derived from the belief that effective crime prevention and control require a community-wide effort. Both CAC and CCP were dominated by opportunity reduction activities such as target hardening, increased surveillance, and property identification. Compared to CP, CAC emphasized cause reduction activities including recreation and youth employment programs, tutoring, and neighborhood improvement. Neither program invested heavily in victim assistance nor system assistance. The narrow range of activities reflected project managers' dominant concern with feasibility as the criterion for implementing a project. While citizen involvement was an important goal for both CAC and CCP, a coordinated attack on crime never materialized. Little effort was spent in coordinating activities with other groups. Rather, internal project priorities dominated. Both programs engaged the attention of some new players in the community crime prevention arena. Eight tables and 35 references are included. (Author abstract modified)