NCJ Number
120378
Date Published
1986
Length
42 pages
Annotation
In 1983, the City of Cincinnati awarded the College Hill forum a grant to implement a two-year "Criminal Opportunity Reduction Effort."
Abstract
The project aimed to prevent crime through block-watch, public education, and target-hardening strategies including parking lot lighting, fencing, and signs. An evaluation, using a pretest, posttest design, focused on multiple performance measures including reported crime rates, victimization, and residents' attitudes concerning neighborhood safety, the police, and the crime prevention project. Over 1000 neighborhood residents attended block-watch meetings, and several thousand pieces of mail and literature were distributed; in addition, there was substantial media coverage. Despite administrative problems, including the lack of a city liaison person, budgetary cutbacks, and the voluntary nature of the program, the crime rate in the College Hill area decreased between 1983 and 1985 at a more rapid rate than in the city as a whole. The most significant reduction was in the number of auto thefts, which dropped by two-thirds. While the victimization rate remained basically unchanged, residents were more likely to have heard of a crime being committed in their neighborhood after the project was initiated. The posttest findings indicated an increased awareness of the project and crime in general; both surveys indicated residents did not view their neighborhood as unsafe and that the project would not hamper police efforts. 5 tables, 1 appendix, 14 references.