NCJ Number
43324
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS THIS THE FINAL REPORT OF A PROJECT TO REDUCE CRIME AND IMPROVE INVESTIGATIONS BY SETTING UP FORMAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION AND JOINT INVESTIGATION TEAMS FOR NEW KENSINGTON, LOWER BURELL, AND ARNOLD, PA.
Abstract
THE TRI-CITY IMPACT PROGRAM CONSISTS OF: A FOUR-POSITION DETECTIVE UNIT WITH MEMBERS FROM THE THREE CITIES, A FOUR-MAN FOOT PATROL UNIT FOR HIGH-CRIME AREAS, A TWO-MAN JUVENILE UNIT WHICH COOPERATES WITH EXISTING JUVENILES AUTHORITIES IN THE THREE CITIES, A JOINT RECORDS AND IDENTIFICATION UNIT, AND A COORDINATOR. HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTING FOR HIGH-CRIME AREAS IS BEING PROVIDED IN ALL THREE CITIES WITH LEAA FUNDING. THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS SUBMITTED MONTHLY TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE WERE USED FOR OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ONLY REPORTS THAT WERE KEPT IN A UNIFORM MANNER BY ALL THREE CITIES BEFORE THE PROJECT BEGAN. ANALYSIS OF THIS DATA FOR 1974-1976 FOUND EIGHT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (AT THE .05 LEVEL) POSITIVE CHANGES AFTER THE PROGRAM BEGAN. IN NEW KENSINGTON, THE NUMBER OF PART 2 CRIMES CLEARED INCREASED, THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES CLEARED INCREASED, NUMBER OF BURGLARIES DECREASED, NUMBER OF JUVENILES FORMALLY PROCESSED INCREASED, AND CRIME IN THE DESIGNATED HIGH-CRIME AREA DECREASED. IN ARNOLD, THE NUMBER OF ADULTS FOUND GUILTY INCREASED. IN LOWER BURRELL, THE NUMBER OF PART 2 CRIMES DECREASED AND THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES DECREASED. ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE, THE NUMBER OF PART 2 CRIMES INCREASED AND NUMBER OF ADULTS FOUND GUILTY DECREASED IN NEW KENSINGTON. IN ARNOLD, THE NUMBER OF PART 1 CRIMES INCREASED. IN LOWER BURRELL, THE NUMBER OF BURGLARIES INCREASED AND THE VALUE OF PROPERTY RECOVERED DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. SUBJECTIVELY, THE BUSINESSMEN OF THE AREA ARE FAVORABLE TOWARD THE PROGRAM, AND THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF FOLLOWUP INVESTIGATION AND JUVENILE WORK HAS IMPROVED CONSIDERABLY. THE HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTING IS DISPLACING, IF NOT ELIMINATING, CRIME; FUTURE STUDY WILL DETERMINE ITS SPECIFIC EFFECT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROJECT BE CONTINUED FOR A THIRD YEAR AND GREATER ATTENTION BE GIVEN TO UNIFORM RECORDKEEPING, MORE FORMAL ASSIGNMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE FOLLOWUP DUTIES, AND A STUDY OF TIME SPENT IN ADMINISTRATION.