NCJ Number
99204
Journal
Canadian Police College Journal Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (1984) Pages: 27-35
Date Published
1984
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This Israeli study compares the effect of police neighborhood crime prevention activities, foot patrol, and traditional car policing on citizen attitudes toward police and fear of crime.
Abstract
One experiment consisted of a 2-month extensive police presence (EPP) and crime prevention activities in selected Israeli neighborhoods. Major activities included installing protective devices in homes, marking property, increasing neighborhood watches, scheduling police school visits, instructing citizens in safety and crime prevention measures, and holding summer camps for youths in distress. The other experiment involved the use of a reinforced foot patrol unit (RFPU), consisting of 17 officers stationed in a high-crime neighborhood in 3 shifts, 24 hours a day. In addition to regular enforcement duties, the unit was expected to report neighborhood changes, develop information sources, initiate interactions with citizens, explain police duties to youths, and provide information on request. Projects' effects were compared with one another and with the use of car patrol in a control neighborhood. Interviews with random samples of citizens in each of the involved neighborhoods indicated that although the neighborhoods were demographically similar, citizens in the experimental neighborhoods had more positive attitudes toward police and a greater commitment to protecting their property from theft than in the control neighborhood. There was no significant difference between the effects of the EPP and the RFPU projects. Tabular data and 13 references.