NCJ Number
53893
Date Published
1978
Length
37 pages
Annotation
A SUMMARY IS PROVIDED OF THE 1978 LEAA-FUNDED PLAN TO REDUCE CRIME AGAINST FLORIDA'S ELDERLY. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO COLLECT CRIME DATA FROM WHICH MAJOR ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED AND TARGETED FOR ATTENTION.
Abstract
A CONDENSED VERSION OF THE RESULTS OF THE STATEWIDE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY INCLUDES MAJOR FINDINGS CONCERNING THE LEVEL AND EFFECTS OF CRIME AND FEAR OF CRIME ON FLORIDA'S ELDERLY. FEAR OF CRIME WAS FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE THREE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR THE ELDERLY; THE OTHERS WERE POOR HEALTH AND LACK OF MONEY. ACTUAL VICTIMIZATION VARIED ACCORDING TO RACE AND ETHNIC GROUP. WHITES WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE VICTIMIZED, FOLLOWED BY BLACKS AND HISPANICS. THE MOST FREQUENT CRIME WAS PROPERTY THEFT, PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE-INCOME SAMPLE. WHILE ONE OF THE EXPECTED EFFECTS OF FEAR OF CRIME AND ACTUAL VICTIMIZATION WAS A REDUCTION IN ACTIVITY LEVELS AMONG THE ELDERLY, NEITHER ACTUAL NOR FEARED CRIME REDUCED ACTIVITY LEVELS AS MEASURED BY TRIPS TO THE GROCERY STORE, BANK, POST OFFICE, ETC. ON THE BASIS OF AVAILABLE DATA, SEVEN MAJOR ISSUES WERE DEVELOPED TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING FURTHER THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIME AND THE ELDERLY. THE FOLLOWING ISSUES/PROBLEMS WERE SELECTED FOR STUDY: (1) SERVICE DELIVERY COORDINATION, (2) PUBLIC INFORMATION AND DATA DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION, (2) PUBLIC INFORMATION AND DATA DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION, (3) CRIME PREVENTION, (4) JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, (5) LAW ENFORCEMENT, (6) COURTS, AND (7) CORRECTIONS. AN ACCOMPANYING SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE ANALYSES IDENTIFIES THE NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES FOR EACH PROBLEM AREA AND PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO A MULTIYEAR EFFORT TO CORRECT EXISTING DEFICIENCIES AND COMBAT CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY. GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)