NCJ Number
184290
Date Published
1999
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview and assessment of a program of neighborhood wardens as one of the methods proposed by the British Government to address some of the problems of the country's poorest neighborhoods.
Abstract
In response to the Government's proposal, a Policy Action Team was established to consider the issue and develop proposals. The current report was undertaken to inform the Policy Action Team's work. The 50 neighborhood warden schemes featured in this report vary significantly in the kinds of problems they address, the methods they use, their scale and funding, and the partners involved. Under neighborhood warden schemes, various agencies concerned about neighborhood security appoint individuals to perform various security-related functions for the community. A warden's functions may include any or all of the following: security patrols, environmental improvements, tenant liaison, information dissemination, information provision to the police and local authority, visits to vulnerable tenants and victims of crime and harassment, and responding to neighbor disputes and antisocial behavior. Most of the 50 warden schemes reviewed in this research are managed by housing authorities. The emerging evidence cited in this study suggests that warden schemes can help to address many of the problems faced by deprived neighborhoods, as there is evidence that they reduce crime and the fear of crime; however, little research has been conducted to date on the impact and effectiveness of neighborhood warden schemes. There is a need for thorough evaluations that can identify those aspects of warden schemes that are having the most beneficial effects and those that are least effective. 4 tables and 14 references