NCJ Number
100427
Date Published
1984
Length
47 pages
Annotation
This report evaluates the impact of a residential security program involving security surveys, free target-hardening materials for low-income families, and neighborhood watch that was conducted by the Portland, Ore., police in the Richmond neighborhood from October 1982 to September 1983.
Abstract
Sources of evaluation data included telephone surveys, residential burglary statistics, and neighborhood watch statistics. The police conducted 348 security surveys between November 1982 and September 1983, compared to 100 surveys the previous year. Of the 180 households receiving a security survey between March and September 1983, 38 percent complied with most or all of the recommendations. Telephone interviews of a random sample of 161 individuals who had attended a Richmond Project neighborhood meeting said they had not had a security survey and 60 percent said they had not joined a neighborhood watch. The evaluation found that reported burglaries were likely to be lower in sections of Richmond where crime prevention activities had been directed. During the Richmond project time period, 555 households joined the neighborhood watch program. Less than 80 households had joined prior to October 1982. The evaluation revealed a decrease in burglary rates for ne1ghborhood watch households compared to the overall Richmond neighborhood. The report contains 17 references, maps, a project flyer, and the survey questionnaire.