NEWARK - TACTICAL ANTI-CRIME TEAMS - IMPACT EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 39123
• Author(s): P ECKMAN; R L REIGLE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 51 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-DF-02-0104
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Newark (NJ) Police Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

REPORT GIVES EVALUATION OF POLICE DECOY UNIT TEAMS, THEIR EFFECT IN REDUCING CRIME, AND COMMUNITY AND OFFICIAL REACTION TO THEM.

Abstract

DISGUISED AS BUMS, POSTAL EMPLOYEES, PRIESTS, AND DRUNKS, TEAMS OF SPECIALLY TRAINED OFFICERS HAVE BEEN MAKING INROADS ON CUTTING CRIME AND BUILDING RESPECT IN THE NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT, ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT. THE OFFICERS ARE PART OF TACTICAL ANTI-CRIME TEAMS (TACT), A PROJECT RUNNING FROM JULY 1974 TO JUNE 1976. TEAMS HAVE CONSISTED OF A DECOY AND A BACK-UP UNIT. TACT TEAMS HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR 11 PERCENT OF BURGLARY ARRESTS, AND 5 PERCENT OF ARMED ROBBERY ARRESTS. THEIR MAIN ASSET, THE REPORT SAYS, IS THEIR DETERRENT EFFECT ON CRIMINALS. FAVORABLE NEWS COVERAGE HELPED GENERATE THIS AWARENESS AND FEAR OF THE TACT PROGRAM, EVEN THOUGH IT ONLY INVOLVED 49 OFFICERS....BS