NCJ Number
112963
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (1986) Pages: 58-75
Date Published
1986
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study assesses the implementation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Urban Initiatives Anti-Crime Program (UIACP) in public housing in 16 cities.
Abstract
Some components of UIACP focused on target hardening; redesign to enhance defensible space; and improvements in human service delivery designed to address unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and crime victimization. The implementation strategy encompassed the cooperation of public housing authorities, residents, police, and the local government. The implementation assessment identified policy decisionmaking at various levels, described implementation steps at each site, and considered program outputs or activities. Findings indicate that policymaking was an ongoing process which overlapped with implementation and program operation. Problems were not uniform across sites, and pluralism abounded. Economic down turns, inflation, and new Federal spending policies had powerful effects on program implementation. Implementation skills were lacking in a number of areas, and program time scales posed constant problems. The police role was critical in community anti-crime efforts. Although employment programs were more effectively implemented than other program components, they yielded disappointing results. Overall, the UIACP was largely unimplemented and could hardly have been expected to have a significant impact on crime. 2-item bibliography.