NCJ Number
102743
Date Published
1985
Length
134 pages
Annotation
As part of a fear reduction program carried out in several cities, the Houston Police Department (Texas) implemented a recontact strategy to increase police responsiveness to crime victims.
Abstract
Victims were contacted by telephone by one of three officers on the recontact team within a week to 10 days of the original incident. These contacts focused primarily on crime prevention and on communicating concern and support for the victims. A total of 327 such contacts were made with victims, of which 235 were the subject of further analysis (the remainder were excluded as nonresidents, very young victims, and for other reasons). Of victims contacted, two-thirds expressed no need for additional assistance, and only nine cases were referred to other resources. Measures designed to assess the strategy indicated it did not achieve its desired goals. The program had no discernable impact on victim's perceptions of police or their neighborhood or on fear of crime. Other strategies implemented in Houston, but not assessed in this report, included door-to-door police visits, a community newsletter, and a police-community storefront office. Additional research data and materials are appended. 35 references and 9 tables.