NCJ Number
53939
Date Published
1977
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FALL RIVER, MASS. COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER PATROL (CSO) IN REDUCING CRIME IN LOCAL HOUSING PROJECTS IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
CSO PATROLS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6 P.M. AND 2 A.M. BEGAN AT TWO PROJECTS IN 1972 AND WERE EXPANDED TO ALL SIX PROJECTS IN 1975. CSO'S WERE RECRUITED FROM THE GENERAL POPULACE, TRAINED, AND EQUIPPED WITH INFORMAL UNIFORMS, MACE, CLUBS, AND HANDCUFFS. CSO'S OPERATED IN TWO-MAN OR THREE-MAN FOOT PATROLS AND HAD REGULAR CONTACT WITH POLICE OFFICERS. CSO'S WERE NOT INVESTED WITH THE POWER OF ARREST, BUT COULD INTERVENE IN CRIMES COMMITTED IN THEIR PRESENCE. THE EVALUATION OF THE CSO PATROL CENTERED AROUND ITS IMPACT ON SERIOUS CRIME RATES. FOR THE ANALYSIS, SELECTION OF HOUSING PROJECTS WAS RESTRICTED TO THOSE HAVING PRE-CSO PATROL DATA. THE DESIRED ANALYSIS PERIOD WAS 18 MONTHS BEFORE AND AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF CSO PATROL. ONLY TWO HOUSING PROJECTS MET THIS REQUIREMENT, SO A THIRD PROJECT WAS SELECTED WHICH PRESENTED A 12-MONTH PRE-CSO AND POST-CSO DATA AVAILABILITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN TWO OF THE THREE PROJECTS THE PRESENCE OF CSO REDUCED SERIOUS CRIME. THE CRIME REDUCTION FAILURE OF THE THIRD IS ATTRIBUTED TO A SYSTEMATIC, RATHER THAN A RANDOM PATROL, AND TO A CONSTANT CHANGE IN PERSONNEL. HOWEVER, IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE TOTAL OUT-OF-PROJECT CRIME RATES INCREASED FOR ALL THREE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING THE PROJECTS. DISPLACEMENT OF CRIME IS RECOGNIZED AS A POSSIBLE RESULT OF THE PATROLS. HOWEVER, IT IS ARGUED THAT THE INCREASE IN OUT-OF-PROJECT CRIME MAY BE DUE TO AN OVERALL INCREASE IN CRIME IN THOSE GEOGRAPHICAL SECTORS. IT IS ALSO ARGUED THAT RESIDENTS IN THE CSO PROJECTS ARE MORE APT TO REPORT CRIME AND ENLIST CSO AID. CSO IS SEEN AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO CRIME IN HOUSING PROJECTS. TABLES ARE APPENDED. (MLC)