NCJ Number
160616
Date Published
1993
Length
39 pages
Annotation
The goal of the Community Violent Crime Summit was to bring together a cross-section of indigenous community leaders from throughout the Middle District of Florida to discuss the problem of violent crime, to build a consensus on the top priorities, and to identify short-term and long-term strategies for combatting violent crime.
Abstract
The community delegates represented the 12 Weed and Seed projects in the Middle District of Florida. Participants were asked to respond to a pre-summit violent crime survey, which asked participants to provide opinions on the causes of violent crime, victimization data, behavioral changes due to fear of crime, and their thoughts on the community's role in crime prevention. The survey results are summarized in this report. The focus of the conference was on input received from the community participants. Following brief introductory remarks that included an overview of violent-crime trends and a plenary presentation on community empowerment, participants were divided into four working groups. Each group met separately and was asked to identify concerns related to violent crime. Additional group meetings were held to translate concerns into more specific issues and ultimately into strategies. Issues discussed were in the areas of crime, the criminal justice system, and social issues. The most significant achievement of the conference was the sharing of concerns and issues by indigenous community leaders. The general consensus from the participants was gratitude for the initiative taken by the U.S. Attorney's Office in seeking their input. The survey questions and responses are included, along with the results of a survey associated with a follow-up meeting and a survey of teen violence. The conference agenda is provided.