NCJ Number
66846
Date Published
1980
Length
214 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF 12 CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS BY THE WISCONSIN COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE (WCCJ) REVEALS THAT THE RATE OF INCREASE OF BURGLARY AND THEFT IS LESS FOR PROJECT AREAS THAN FOR THE REST OF THE STATE.
Abstract
THE WCCJ HAS BEEN EMPHASIZING CRIME PREVENTION SINCE 1969, HAVING APPROPRIATED ABOUT 1.7-MILLION DOLLARS TO SUBGRANTEES FOR CRIME PREVENTION. WHILE EARLY WCCJ APPROACHES EMPHASIZED PUBLIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS, RECENT WORK HAS FOCUSED ON REDUCING PROPERTY CRIME. NEVERTHELESS, WCCJ HAS LACKED FORMAL EVALUATIONS OF LOCAL CRIME PREVENTION PROJECTS. THUS, IN 1977, WCCJ DECIDED TO MONITOR ALL PROJECTS FUNDED AFTER 1978. AMONG OTHER MEASURES USED, WCCJ'S EVALUATION UNIT RAN SPECIAL TYPES OF VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS TO DETERMINE A PROJECT'S IMPACT. SINCE VICTIMIZATION STUDIES ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, THEY WERE LIMITED TO TYPES OF OFFENSES FOR WHICH CITIZEN REPORTS TO POLICE ARE UNIFORMLY HIGH (BURGLARY, AUTO THEFT, ETC.) THE 12 WCCJ-FUNDED CRIME PREVENTION PROJECTS REVIEWED ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT WISCONSIN. ACCORDING TO WCCJ, ALL PROJECTS MUST DIMINISH THE RATE OF AT LEAST ONE TARGETED PROPERTY CRIME. TYPICAL WCCJ CRIME PREVENTION PROJECT GOALS AND METHODS ARE DISCUSSED. ANALYSES OF DATA COLLECTED PRIOR AND DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS REVEAL DECREASES IN BURGLARIES AND CLEARANCE RATES BUT INCREASES IN OVERALL THEFTS, DURING THE PROJECTS. RECOMMENDATIONS, TABLES, ATTACHMENTS, FOOTNOTES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)