NCJ Number
133332
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (1990) Pages: 53-68
Date Published
1990
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article reviews evaluation studies of community crime prevention programs and addresses the methodological and substantive problems associated with them.
Abstract
The programs examined encompass household protection behaviors, target hardening programs, property-marking programs, home security survey programs, neighborhood protection behaviors, citizen patrol programs, public surveillance programs, and environmental design programs. The evaluation research suggests that the apparent failures of crime prevention programs do not result from inappropriate conceptualization but rather from inadequate program implementation and subsequent monitoring. The crime prevention literature notes the significance of inadequate planning and implementation in undermining crime prevention efforts. Neighborhood characteristics also influence the frequency and character of victimization. The findings suggest that neighborhood characteristics should be considered in the selection and design of crime prevention programs. Evaluation studies suggest which types of crime prevention programs have succeeded in various types of neighborhoods. A neighborhood assessment instrument could be developed to determine what types of crime prevention programs should be used in particular neighborhoods. 12 notes and a 38-item bibliography