NCJ Number
54202
Date Published
Unknown
Length
92 pages
Annotation
IN ORDER TO INVOLVE CITIZENS IN COMMUNITY CRIME REDUCTION PROGRAMS, ONE DAY WORKSHOPS WERE HELD IN 24 CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
Abstract
THE THREE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE FORUMS WERE AS FOLLOWS: (1) TO LESSEN CITIZENS' NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES; (2) TO DEVELOP IN CITIZEN PARTICIPANTS A DESIRE TO ENGAGE IN COOPERATIVE, EFFECTIVE ACTION ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY; AND (3) TO PROVIDE A COOPERATIVE EXPERIENCE IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL CAN WORK TOGETHER IN SOLVING COMMUNITY PROBLEMS. DATA FOR THIS EVALUATION WERE GATHERED FROM QUESTIONNAIRES ADMINISTERED TO CITIZEN PARTICIPANTS, ONSITE VISITS, AND RECORD DATA. THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH FORUMS WERE HELD WERE PREDOMINATELY BLACK (64.3 PERCENT) AND TENDED TO BE HIGH CRIME AREAS (92.9 PERCENT). THE FORUMS WERE MOST FREQUENTLY HELD IN SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AND WERE TYPICALLY SPONSORED BY POLICE, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. PARTICIPANTS RANGED FROM 11 TO 88 YEARS OF AGE. THE RACIAL COMPOSITION OF THE FORUMS WAS 58 PERCENT WHITE AND 37 PERCENT BLACK. RESPONDENTS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES TENDED TO PERCEIVE THE CRIME PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITY FAIRLY ACCURATELY AND VIEWED POLICE SUCCESS IN SOLVING VARIOUS TYPES OF CRIMES FAIRLY ACCURATELY. THE THREE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE FORUMS WERE ACHIEVED. COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PEOPLE BOTH DEVELOPED MORE POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF EACH OTHER. PARTICIPANTS DEVELOPED MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES ABOUT THE USEFULNESS OF WORKING ON COMMUNITY PROBLEMS AS A WAY OF SOLVING LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS, AND THEY CAME TO BELIEVE THAT SOLVING A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY PROBLEMS WOULD REDUCE CRIME IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. TABLES AND DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- MLC)