NCJ Number
81235
Date Published
1976
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This report assesses the results of an LEAA survey of the methods, outcomes, and effectiveness of various community crime prevention/security survey programs and suggests areas for further research.
Abstract
The Phase I evaluation was based on a review of general knowledge and past findings from such programs and on telephone and/or field surveys. The evaluation found that the security survey programs (which attempted to reduce criminal victimization, improve police-community relations, etc.) could have a measurable effect on reducing victimization among survey recipients. Approximately 80 percent of the agencies studied believe that they have had 'some success' or were 'very successful' in achieving crime prevention/security survey goals. Moreover, 60 percent of the 206 security survey programs studied are or were previously funded through LEAA, and the remaining 40 percent were locally funded. Most personnel of these programs feel that security survey activities will continue after the cessation of Federal support. Nearly all the agencies surveyed use the entire community as their program service area. Little is known, however, about program compliance rates, although the little compliance data that exist suggest that when survey recommendations are implemented a recipient is less likely to be victimized. Recommendations to enhance security survey program implementation in the future involve continued LEAA funding and supply of management and evaluation tools, the incorporation of security survey modules in crime prevention training programs, and others. Footnotes and about 70 references are supplied. (Author summary modified)