NCJ Number
80726
Date Published
1980
Length
349 pages
Annotation
This report discusses issues involved in planning a community crime prevention program and provides practical guidelines and advice about starting such a program. Written for planners, practitioners, community organizers, and members of community groups, this report analyzes the experiences of six operating programs in regard to program success factors.
Abstract
The report was assembled following a literature review and telephone interviews with 87 of the directors of community crime prevention programs across the country. Six diverse projects were selected for a more detailed examination involving onsite visits from January through March 1979 and interviews with persons who planned and developed the projects. Written documents, such as grant applications and evaluation reports, were examined also. The six projects were the Neighborhood Safety Project, Contra Costa County, Calif.; the Southeast Polk County Crime Prevention Council, Inc., Iowa; the Greater Woodlawn Crime Prevention Project, Chicago, Ill.; Ward I, Washington, D.C.; the Minneapolis Community Crime Prevention Program, Minneapolis, Minn.; and Port City Crime Prevention Project (PCCPS), Port City (a pseudonym). The report discusses alternative ways to consider and define planning and notes some of the factors that cause planning to vary. One chapter presents a description of the analytical aspects of the planning process and shows how applications might be made in realistic situations. The political aspect of planning is explored through the identification of several of the major actors in a community and a discussion of how these actors might affect the planning process. Finally, brief accounts of the planning process in each of the six site visits are given. The analysis found that planning in most community crime prevention programs tended to vary significantly from textbook models. Most projects were not equipped to do thorough formal evaluations of their programs, although evaluation did occur. Furthermore, community characteristics varied in each locality, and thus each planning process was unique. It was also found that most crime prevention projects experienced conflict over one or more aspects of the program. The study concluded that although citizens can be motivated to begin community crime prevention programs, most such programs are difficult to maintain solely on the basis of the crime problem -- citizens will lose interest if the programs do not expand to other neighborhood concerns. Moreover, very few, if any, crime prevention programs exist over a long period solely on volunteer efforts. The major expenditure of time and effort in most projects was directed toward reaching and mobilizing citizens and community groups in support of program initiatives. Tables, figures, footnotes, and over 70 references are included. Interview forms and information are appended.