NCJ Number
63852
Date Published
1977
Length
146 pages
Annotation
THE REPORT EVALUATES THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE ILLINOIS URBAN HIGH CRIME REDUCTION (UHCR) PROGRAM IN WHICH FOUR CITIES WERE TO PLAN, IMPLEMENT, AND ASSESS CRIME REDUCTION PROJECTS OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING.
Abstract
UNDER PROVISIONS OF AN ILLINOIS LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION GRANT, CHAMPAIGN, EAST ST. LOUIS, JOLIET, AND PEORIA ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM COORDINATION UNIT AS THE STAFF COMPONENT OF A CRIME REDUCTION COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICY DECISIONS, STAFF SUPERVISION, AND COORDINATION AMONG INVOLVED AGENCIES. CHAMPAIGN AND PEORIA SELECTED RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY AS THE TARGET CRIME WHILE EAST ST. LOUIS AND JOLIET CHOSE ROBBERY AND BURGLARY. THE COUNCILS AND STAFF THEN DEVELOPED ACTION PROJECTS BASED ON CRIME DATA AND RESPONSES BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. ACTION PLANS COULD BE DEVISED IN THREE PHASES--LAW ENFORCEMENT, ADJUDICATION, AND CORRECTIONS--WITH IMPLEMENTATION FOLLOWING APPROVAL OF EACH PROJECT. A SECOND OPTION WAS TO COMPLETE A PLAN ANALYZING ALL THREE COMPONENTS BEFORE APPLYING FOR ACTION GRANTS AND WAS CHOSEN ONLY BY PEORIA. OVERALL, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED PARTICIPANTS WITH VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST STRATEGIES THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF LOCAL BUDGETS. COOPERATION WITHIN THE FOUR JURISDICTIONS ALSO IMPROVED, ALTHOUGH COMPLICATED ADMINSTRATIVE FACTORS FREQUENTLY DELAYED PROGRESS AND COORDINATION. SERIOUS DISCREPANCIES WERE ALSO FOUND WITHIN THE STATE CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM AND BETWEEN THIS AND OTHER SYSTEMS. PEORIA'S STRONG RESEARCH ORIENTATON IN PLANNING IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CITIES ILLUSTRATED PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLANNING AND ACTION AND THE USE OF STATE FUNDS TO PROMOTE PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION. THE REPORT RECOMMENDED THAT SIMILAR PROGRAMS SHOULD NOT BE INITIATED UNTIL THE UHCR ACTION PROJECTS ARE EVALUATED. EXTENSIVE PREPARATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR FEASIBILITY STUDIES SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BEFORE IMPLEMENTING SUCH PROGRAMS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN DETAILED STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON DATA USED TO ANALYZE CRIME TRENDS AND DISCUSS DATA SOURCES AND DISCEPANCIES. (MJM)