NCJ Number
61790
Date Published
1978
Length
199 pages
Annotation
THE CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES OF TEAM POLICING WITH FOOT PATROL, THE POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE, AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT ARE DESCRIBED AND ANALYZED AS IMPLEMENTED IN A CHARLOTTE, N.C., COMMUNITY.
Abstract
THE 1-YEAR EXPERIMENTAL CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH AN LEAA GRANT BY THE CHARLOTTE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE HIGH-CRIME PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY OF DALTON VILLAGE WHICH INCLUDES 300 HOUSING UNITS. A TEAM OF 10 PATROL OFFICERS, A SUPERVISOR, AND A CIVILIAN SPECIALIST ESTABLISHED AN OFFICE AND WERE ASSIGNED FULL-TIME DUTIES IN THE COMPLEX. THE POLICE TEAM PROVIDED 24-HOUR POLICE SERVICES AS WELL AS POLICE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS. THE EFFECTS OF THE POLICING EXPERIMENT ON THE CRIME EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES OF DALTON VILLAGE RESIDENTS WERE STUDIED AND CONTROLLED THROUGH OBSERVATION OF A SECOND PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY WITH SIMILAR STRUCTURAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. THE RESIDENTIAL AREA SURROUNDING DALTON VILLAGE WAS ALSO EVALUATED FOR POSSIBLE CRIME DISPLACEMENT PATTERNS. EVALUATION EFFORTS FOCUSED ON ANALYSIS OF POLICE STATISTICS BEFORE AND DURING THE PROJECT; FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF POLICE PROCEDURES; AND THREE SETS OF CITIZEN INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE PROJECT. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT POLICE PRESENCE IN LOW INCOME AREAS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN REDUCING FEAR AND VICTIMIZATION. INFORMAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN POLICE AND CITIZENS, IMPORTANT IN BREAKING DOWN HOSTILITY AND DEVELOPING TRUST AND COOPERATION, ARE MAXIMIZED BY FOOT PATROL AND OFFICERS COMMITTED TO THE POLICE SERVICE ORIENTATION. CRIME WAS NOT DISPLACED TO THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AREA BY TEAM POLICING IMPLEMENTATION. TOTAL POLICING EFFORTS MUST BE STUDIED OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE ASPECTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. FOOTNOTES, CHARTS, GRAPHS, REFERENCES, AND APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)