NCJ Number
53925
Date Published
1977
Length
15 pages
Annotation
USING A PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN, OVER 1,000 HOUSEHOLDS WERE INTERVIEWED IN AN EVALUATION OF THE DENVER, COLO., NEIGHBORS AGAINST CRIME TOGETHER (NEIGHBORS ACT) PROJECT, A COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION EFFORT.
Abstract
THE LEAA-FUNDED CRIME PREVENTION PROJECT BEGAN IN 1975 WITH THREE MAJOR OBJECTIVES: (1) TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME AND BURGLARY IN 20 HIGH CRIME CENSUS TRACTS BY 10 PERCENT, (2) TO INCREASE CITIZEN AWARENESS OF THE CRIME PROBLEM AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CRIME PREVENTION, AND (3) TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED AND A RESEARCH SURVEY PROJECT TO EVALUATE PROJECT OUTCOMES. CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, PRESENTED AT SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEETING PLACES, WERE DESIGNED TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE CRIME PROBLEM AND TO INSTRUCT THE PUBLIC IN PREVENTION TECHNIQUES. BLOCKWATCHING ORGANIZATIONS EVOLVED. THE MEDIA EFFORT ALSO WAS AIMED AT BOTH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. BROCHURES AND PAMPHLETS WERE DISTRIBUTED, SLIDE PRESENTATIONS WERE GIVEN, AND SPOTS WERE ACQUIRED ON LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION. THE EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED OVER AN 18-MONTH PERIOD, FROM 1975 TO 1976, AND HAD THREE MAJOR PHASES; A PRETEST, A POSTTEST, AND A PANEL. THE PRETEST CONSISTED OF 1,081 RANDOM HOUSEHOLD INTERVIEWS. THE POSTTEST CONSISTED OF 1,051 SUCH INTERVIEWS. THE PANEL CONSISTED OF 91 CASES THAT WERE FOLLOWED FROM PRETEST TO POSTTEST. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN 1976, FEWER CITIZENS REPORTED BEING A VICTIM OF BREAKING AND ENTERING OR BURGLARY. IT WAS FOUND ALSO THAT PUBLIC AWARENESS HAD INCREASED, CITIZENS HAD RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION, AND FEWER PEOPLE WERE FEARFUL OF THEIR HOMES BEING BURGLARIZED. NO TABLES OR STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED. (MLC)