EVALUATION OF CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 50378
• Author(s): L BICKMAN; M D MALTZ; P J LAVRAKAS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 25 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-022-74
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND AT A SYMPOSIUM AT THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, SAN FRANCISCO, SEPTEMBER 1977

Annotation

ISSUES IN PLANNING AND CONDUCTING EVALUATIONS OF CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE CPTED PROGRAM IS AIMED AT DETERMINING THE EXTENT TO WHICH ALTERATION IN THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF A COMMUNITY CAN AFFECT CRIME AND FEAR OF CRIME. THE DISCUSSION OF EVALUATION ISSUES DRAWS ON THE EXPERIENCES OF CPTED PROJECTS IN THE BROWARD COUNTY, FLA., SCHOOL SYSTEM, A COMMERCIAL AREA OF PORTLAND, ORE., AND A MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. THE CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS OF A CPTED EVALUATION--THE CPTED ENVIRONMENTAL REORGANIZATION FACTORS OF ACCESS CONTROL, SURVEILLANCE, ACTIVITY SUPPORT, AND MOTIVATION REINFORCEMENT--ARE DISCUSSED, AS IS THE MEASUREMENT OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO EACH FACTOR. EVALUATION ISSUES ARE IDENTIFIED RELATIVE TO LACK OF CONTROL OVER PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTATING AND EVALUATING PHYSICAL CHANGES, ATTRIBUTION OF CAUSATION TO SPECIFIC PROGRAM ELEMENTS, THEORY-BASED EVALUATIONS (AS OPPOSED TO EXPERIMENTAL OR QUASIEXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS), AND CONSIDERATIONS IN DATA ANALYSIS. THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED: (1) EVALUATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING DATA; (2) ADEQUATE TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR PHYSICAL CHANGES TO BE IMPLEMENTED; (3) A VARIETY OF MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES--DIRECT OBSERVATIONS, EXPERIMENTAL INTERVENTIONS, BEHAVIORAL DATA--SHOULD BE CONSIDERED; (4) EVALUATORS SHOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH PROGRAM PLANNERS TO CHOOSE MATCHED SITES FOR TREATMENT AND COMPARISON GROUPS; (5) INNOVATIVE, QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS, SHOULD BE USED TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS; (6) A THEORY-BASED EVALUATION SHOULD BE PLANNED ON THE BASIS OF THE HYPOTHESIZED CPTED PROCESS; AND (7) MULTIPLE TYPES OF EVALUATION DATA SHOULD BE COLLECTED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)