NCJ Number
59139
Date Published
1977
Length
71 pages
Annotation
THE IMPACT ON CITIZEN ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF A FLORIDA COUNTY BURGLARY PREVENTION PROGRAM, STRIKE FORCE TWO, WAS EXAMINED USING TWO SURVEYS, ONE BEFORE AND ONE AFTER THE PROGRAM'S IMPLEMENTATION.
Abstract
THIS SECOND VOLUME OF THE REPORT ANALYZES THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTED. STATISTICAL DETAILS ARE PRESENTED IN THE FIRST VOLUME. IN EACH SURVEY, 200 RANDOMLY SELECTED RESIDENTS IN AN AREA OF 1150 HOMES WERE INTERVIEWED. COMPARISONS OF THE TWO SURVEYS SHOWED THAT THE STRIKE FORCE (SF) TWO PROGRAM INCREASED CITIZEN AWARENESS OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY PREVENTION PROGRAMS TO A VARYING DEGREE FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM. OF THE PEOPLE SURVEYED, 79 PERCENT HAD HEARD OF SF. THE PROGRAM INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, BUT NOT OF THE 'HELP STOP CRIME!' (HSC) PROGRAM, THE OPERATION ID PROGRAM, CRIME REPORTING, HOME SECURITY MEASURES, OR THE COMMUNITY POSSE. BROCHURES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AWARENESS OF SF BUT NOT OF THE HSC PROGRAM. PERSONAL CONTACT WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN ADVANCING THE PROGRAM. RESIDENTS DID INCREASE AWARENESS OF SPECIFIC SECURITY DEVICES SUCH AS DEAD BOLT LOCKS, BARS AND GRILLWORK FOR WINDOWS, AND BOLTS OR PINS FOR SLIDING GLASS DOORS. IN CONTRAST, KNOWLEDGE OF WHEN AND HOW BURGLARIES OCCUR DID NOT INCREASE. NEVERTHELESS, RESIDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME PREVENTION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SYMBOLIC SECURITY WERE AFFECTED POSITIVELY. THE LEAST EFFECT WAS IN THE AREA OF OVERALL SECURITY BEHAVIOR, WHERE LITTLE OR NO CHANGE WAS FOUND. THE PROJECT DEMONSTRATED THE DIFFUCULTY OF EFFECTING BEHAVIORAL CHANGE. TABLES AND APPENDIXES PRESENTING DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES OF RESPONDENTS DETAILED RESULTS, SAMPLING METHODOLOGY, AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)