NCJ Number
92678
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 31 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1983) Pages: 16-41
Editor(s)
B Cameron
Date Published
1983
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Eight articles on police-community relations cover police safety programs for young children, rural and urban Neighborhood Watch programs, and firearms familiarization courses.
Abstract
The first presentation describes the Sears Roebuck Foundation's Officer Friendly program in which a police officer visits primary schools to talk briefly about safety, the police, and strangers. It summarizes various program evaluations which indicate that Officer Friendly often improves children's attitudes toward the police and contributes to their safety. The next article highlights another effective police safety education program for grade school children developed by the Arizona Department of Highway Safety. Its public relations officer uses a talking patrol car and a tricycle equipped with a siren and emergency lights to reinforce safety messages about highways, drugs, skateboards, roller skating, and bicycle riding. A description of the Springfield, Mo., police's proactive efforts to combat crime through organizing a crime prevention unit and developing Neighborhood Watch programs emphasizes that cooperation between police and the community is the first step in effective crime control. Also examined are the program's organization, evaluations, and Neighborhood Watch's contribution to reducing crime in Springfield between 1981 and 1982. A rural version of Neighborhood Watch in Nebraska is described. A survey of the Army's crime prevention activities as part of the National Crime Prevention Coalition focuses on its cooperation with civilian organizations, use of the McGruff campaign, and the outstanding program developed by Fort Hood. Other articles in the series highlight the crime prevention efforts of the police in Florissant, Mo., and a firearms training course initiated by the Medical College of Georgia Police Department for students and college personnel. The final article offers suggestions on public speaking for community relations officers. Photographs accompany most articles.