NCJ Number
208347
Date Published
January 2005
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This guide describes the problem of cruising and effective responses by law enforcement in addressing the problem of cruising.
Abstract
This guide developed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services under the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police, Problem-Specific Guides Series attempts to describe the problem of cruising (defined as unnecessary repetitive driving), as well as the factors that contribute to cruising. Cruising creates problems for the police, as well as nonparticipating motorists, some businesses, and the general community. There are several cruising-related problems that law enforcement must address, such as assaults, drug dealing, auto theft, gang-related activity, street racing, traffic violations, and vandalism. Each of these problems must be analyzed separately before prevention strategies can be developed. The reasons for cruising are many, however some popular reasons include: it provides a means to socialize, it appears to be unsupervised, it gives people who are too young to go to bars or other adult-only activities something to do, and it lets people express racial and cultural pride. Once an analysis of the cruising problem is complete, measures of effectiveness determined, and there is a better understanding of the factors contributing to it, local law enforcement can then consider potential responses to address the problem. The report concludes with an array of responses to the problem of cruising divided into three areas: general considerations for effective strategies, specific responses to cruising, and responses with limited effectiveness. Appendix and references