NCJ Number
50381
Date Published
1978
Length
253 pages
Annotation
THE PROCESS BY WHICH A CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED) PROJECT IS BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE WILLARD-HOMEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS OF CPTED IS ON STRATEGIES THAT REINFORCE OR CREATE DESIRABLE ACTIVITIES AND USE PATTERNS AND ELIMINATE UNDESIRABLE PATTERNS SO THAT CRIME PREVENTION BECOMES AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SPECIFIED ENVIRONMENT. FOUR OPERATING HYPOTHESES UNDERLIE ALL CPTED IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES: ACCESS CONTROL, SURVEILLANCE, ACTIVITY SUPPORT, AND MOTIVATION REINFORCEMENT. EACH PROJECT INVOLVES FIVE PHASES: (1) SITE SELECTION/POLICY DETERMINATION--DECIDING THE RELEVANCE OF CPTED TO LOCAL ISSUES; (2) PROJECT INITIATION AND ORGANIZATION PHASE; (3) PROJECT PLANNING PHASE, --ANALYZING CRIME AND FEAR PROBLEMS SO THAT THEY CAN BE TREATED BY CPTED; (4) PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE--CONSTRUCTING THE PHYSICAL PORTION OF CPTED PLANS AND CARRYING OUT OTHER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES; AND (5) THE EVALUATION PHASE. THE WILLARD-HOMEWOOD AREA, A RACIALLY MIXED, PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY, WAS SELECTED AS A REPRESENTATIVE CENTRAL URBAN ENVIRONMENT. IT SUFFERED SERIOUS, BUT NOT EXTREME, REPORTED AND PERCEIVED CRIME PROBLEMS. A NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATOR WORKED WITH EXISTING AND NEW RESIDENTS' GROUPS TO INITIATE SUCH CRIME-PREVENTION MEASURES AS BLOCK WATCH, HOUSE SITTING, SECURITY SURVEYS, AND TARGET HARDENING, WHILE A DEMONSTRATION MANAGER FACILITATED IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN STRATEGIES, SUCH AS ALLEYWAY MODIFICATION, THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC DIVERTERS, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY NODES. ALTHOUGH THE EVALUATION PHASE IS ONGOING, CONCLUSIONS DERIVED FROM THE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT'S PROGRESS ARE DISCUSSED WITH REGARD TO THE NEED FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, THE COMPLEXITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE CRIME PREVENTION PROJECT, FUNDING REQUIREMENTS, ACCESS TO COMMUNITY LEADERS AND DECISIONMAKERS, THE NEED TO INSTITUTIONALIZE PLANNING TO PREVENT COMPETITION FOR POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS, SITE SELECTION, THE ROLE OF OUTSIDE SPECIALISTS, AND EXPECTANCY EFFECTS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE THE PROJECT'S THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, A CHRONOLOGY OF THE DEMONSTRATION EFFORT, AND ASSORTED SURVEY FORMS AND DATA. GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. SEE ALSO NCJ 46187-46188, 45748-45751, 50379, 50380,50927, 49025, AND 49210. (KBL)