NCJ Number
66459
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THIS EVALUATION OF THREE COMMUNITY AWARENESS PROGRAMS, BASED ON A CITIZEN SURVEY MADE IN EIGHT AREAS OF CHICAGO, SHOWS THAT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WAS ENHANCED DUE TO CITIZENS JOINING GROUPS FOR SELF-PROTECTION FROM CRIME.
Abstract
A RANDOM-DIGIT-DIALING TELEPHONE SURVEY TECHNIQUE WAS USED TO SELECT CITIZEN SAMPLES. THE FINDINGS REPRESENT THE ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES OF THE CITIZENS OF THE EIGHT AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WERE SURVEYED. THE PROJECTS EVALUATED WERE THE EDGEWATER-UPTOWN COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAM, WHICH FOCUSED ON CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SAFETY ACTIVITIES USING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AS ITS TECHNIQUE; THE CITIZENS PARTICIPATION ADVOCACY PROGRAM, WHICH OPERATED IN SIX TARGET AREAS AND INCLUDED BLOCK WATCH PROGRAMS; WORKSHOPS, RESOURCE BANKS PROGRAMS, AND A CRIME CRISIS LINE; AND THE COMMUNITY ANTI-CRIME PROGRAM WHICH OPERATED THROUGH SEVERAL COMPONENTS--THE CITIZEN MOBILE RADIO PATROL, COMMUNITY SAFETY AIDES, AND COMMUNITY CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS. TO EVALUATE THESE CITIZEN AWARENESS PROJECTS, FOUR DIMENSIONS WERE CONSIDERED: ATTITUDE CHANGE, CRIME PREVENTION-CRIME REDUCTION, COST BENEFIT, AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. THE PROGRAMS WERE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE CITIZEN PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE CRIME SITUATION IN THEIR AREA, AS WELL AS CITIZEN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL RELATIONS. IF THE PROGRAMS WERE EFFECTIVE, ATTITUDES WOULD BE MORE POSITIVE. THE SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED ATTITUDES MORE NEGATIVE IN THE TARGET AREAS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT ANTI-CRIME PROGRAMS HAD BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD. RESIDENTS IN TARGET AREAS WERE FOUND TO BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE JOINED A CITIZEN GROUP FOR CRIME PREVENTION. CRIME DECREASED IN EACH TARGET AREA BUT ONE. COST BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAMS WERE POSITIVE, AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WAS ENHANCED, SINCE SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER NUMBERS OF RESIDENTS IN THE TARGET AREAS JOINED A CITIZEN GROUP TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM CRIME. (MJW)