NCJ Number
52873
Journal
EVALUATION QUARTERLY Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 547-560
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A 6-WEEK EXPERIMENT UNDERTAKEN IN NEW YORK CITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF SANITATION LAWS IMPROVES THE CLEANLINESS OF CITY STREETS IS DOCUMENTED.
Abstract
THE TEST AREA CONSISTED OF 136 BLOCKFACES ON THE EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN--A HIGHLY RESIDENTIAL, RELATIVELY WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE HEART OF THE CITY. THE LEVEL OF SANITATION LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS CONTROLLED BY VARYING THE NUMBER OF SANITATION POLICE ON DUTY. (SANITATION POLICE ENFORCE ORDINANCES PROHIBITING LITTERING AND BANNING PARKING THAT OBSTRUCTS STREET-CLEANING EQUIPMENT.) DAILY CLEANLINESS RATINGS AND OTHER DATA WERE KEPT FOR THE TEST AREA AND FOR AN ADJACENT CONTROL AREA. INCREASES IN CLEANLINESS TOOK PLACE IN THE TEST AREA DURING THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD, WHILE NO CHANGES TOOK PLACE IN THE CONTROL AREA. THERE WERE GREATER CHANGES ON THE AVENUE BLOCKS, PARTICULARLY THE MOST HIGHLY COMMERCIAL AVENUE BLOCKS, THAN ON THE STREET BLOCKS. (AVENUE BLOCKS ARE LINED PRIMARILY WITH RETAIL STORES, STREET BLOCKS WITH RESIDENCES.) THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE PRODUCTION OF LITTER WAS DECREASED DURING THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD, BUT THE RESULTING IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANLINESS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ASSESS CHANGES IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STREET CLEANING. THUS THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE ISSUANCE OF LITTER SUMMONSES HAS A DETERRENT EFFECT ON LITTER PRODUCTION BUT LEAVE OPEN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER PARKING TICKETS DETER POTENTIAL VIOLATORS ENOUGH TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STREET CLEANING. SUPPORTING DATA, A LIST OF REFERENCES, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)