REINTRODUCING COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY - AN ISSUE-ORIENTED EVALUATION OF PROBLEMS FACING CRIME PREVENTION UNITS IN BC (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

• NCJ Number: 67941
• Author(s): M P ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 90 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICE CRIME-PREVENTION PROGRAMS WERE EVALUATED BY A LAY MEMBER OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA POLICE COMMISSION (CANADA) FROM A MANAGEMENT VIEWPOINT.

Abstract

CRIME PREVENTION WORK IS DEFINED AS THAT SEGMENT OF POLICE ACTIVITY AIMED AT REINTRODUCING COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE SOCIAL ORDER. HYPOTHESIZING THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS AN INDISPENSABLE DETERMINANT OF THE SUCCESS OF ANY POLICE CRIME PREVENTION EFFORT, THE INTERACTION BETWEEN POLICE CRIME PREVENTION UNITS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WAS STUDIED BY SURVEYING 36 POLICE OFFICERS, IN CHARGE OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, OVER A 2 MONTH PERIOD (JUNE-AUGUST 1977). THE PROGRAMS EVALUATED HAD ALL REACHED THE POINT OF TRANSITION FROM EXPERIMENTAL TO PERMANENT STATUS. THE SURVEY OF THE 36 POLICE OFFICERS SAMPLED WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, DURING WHICH THE OFFICERS FRANKLY STATED THEIR PROBLEMS, SUCCESSES, AND ASPIRATIONS. EACH CRIME PREVENTION PROBLEM WAS EVALUATED IN TERMS OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS; THE ISSUES ENTAILED BY EACH CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED WHENEVER POSSIBLE, DUE TO THEIR COMPLEXITY. AMONG THE ISSUES IN QUESTION WERE CAREER AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS OF THE POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED; THE FINANCING OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS; PROGRAM DUPLICATION; ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMMING INPUT (I.E., THE SOLUTION OF CERTAIN SECURITY PROBLEMS BY ADDING SECURITY FEATURES TO A BUILDING); THE RELUCTANCE OF CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS TO COOPERATE WITH POLICE UNITS; AND THE PROBLEM OF SUBJECTIVE PROOF (I.E., FINDING ADEQUATE QUALITATIVE EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR ALL PROGRAMS). QUANTITATIVE OR STATISTICAL MEASUREMENTS OF PROGRAMS EFFECTIVENESS ARE NOT ALWAYS ADEQUATE IN SITUATIONS INVOLVING ATTITUDINAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. ALL POLICE OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS CITED FRIENDLINESS ON THE PART OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS ONE QUALITATIVE CRITERION FOR MEASURING THEIR SUCCESS. APPENDIXES GIVE STRUCTURED REPORTS ON ALL INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN THE SURVEY. A MAP IS INCLUDED. (LGR)