NCJ Number
16688
Date Published
1974
Length
46 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF STATE PROGRAM WHICH SEEKS TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, BRING ABOUT A REORIENTATION WITHIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS TOWARD CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
Abstract
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM, KNOWN AS MINNESOTA CRIME WATCH, IS SPONSORED BY THE GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL BUT CARRIED OUT BY LOCAL POLICE AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS. THE RATIONALE FOR THE PROJECT IS THAT CRIME PREVENTION IS A LOCAL PROBLEM AND MUST BE ATTACKED BY THE COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM ATTEMPTS TO TRANSLATE CITIZEN CONCERN ABOUT CRIME INTO ACTION TO PREVENT IT. THE PROJECT, THROUGH ITS PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, STRESSES MECHANICAL CRIME PREVENTION WHICH PLACES OBSTACLES IN THE PATH OF THE WOULD-BE CRIMINAL WHICH MAKE THE CRIME MORE DIFFICULT TO COMMIT. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROGRAM DEALS WITH THE PREVENTION OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY. IT WAS DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THIS PROBLEM INITIALLY SINCE BURGLARY IS A HIGHLY VISIBLE CRIME AFFECTING LARGE NUMBERS OF CITIZENS WHICH HAS PROVEN DIFFICULT TO SOLVE WITH THE USUAL METHODS AVAILABLE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. THE PROJECT IS STRUCTURED TO PROVIDE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITH THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS TO ENABLE THEM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONCERNED CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, TO EDUCATE THEIR POPULATIONS IN THE STEPS WHICH CAN BE TAKEN TO PREVENT SPECIFIC CRIMES. PHASE I CENTERS AROUND TEACHING THE PUBLIC TO MAKE ITS HOMES LESS INVITING TO WOULD-BE BURGLARS. THE RESULTS OF THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF MINNESOTA CRIME WATCH ARE LIMITED. PARTLY, THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PROGRAM IS ONLY IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS CANNOT YET BE DOCUMENTED. THE OTHER REASONS FOR THE INCONCLUSIVENESS OF THE EVALUATION RELATE TO THE TYPE OF DATA AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. SINCE A LARGE PART OF THE PROGRAM IS EDUCATION ORIENTED, MEASUREMENT OF A NUMBER OF THE OBJECTIVES IS DEPENDENT ON A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FIRST PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY AND THE FOLLOW-UP, WHICH WILL BE CONDUCTED THIS OCTOBER. THE REMAINING DATA WHICH COME FROM PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TEND TO BE INCOMPLETE. THE PROJECT HAS MADE SOME STRIDES IN ACHIEVING ITS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE JOINED CRIME WATCH. THE PROJECT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING AND DISTRIBUTING CRIME PREVENTION MATERIALS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. IT IS IN THIS AREA OF ITS OPERATION AS WELL AS IN ARRANGING MASS MEDIA COVERAGE THAT THE PROJECT HAS BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL TO DATE. ONE COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM WHICH HAS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST HAS BEEN OPERATION IDENTIFICATION. SINCE CRIME WATCH, THERE HAVE BEEN 140 NEW OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS (FORTY PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS, MOSTLY WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN AREA, WERE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE).