OVERVIEW ASSESSMENT OF OPERATION IDENTIFICATION - UNITED STATES (FROM POLICE AND SOCIAL ORDER, 1979, BY JOHANNES KNUTTSON, ET AL - SEE NCJ-60476)

• NCJ Number: 60487
• Author(s): N B HELLER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Brottsforebyggande Radet
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

THE IMPACT AND PROBLEMS OF OPERATION IDENTIFICATION (OI) (OWNER MARKING OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO FACILITATE RETURN IF STOLEN) ARE ANALYZED.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF LABELING PROPERTY TO DETER BURGLARS AND IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD OF HAVING STOLEN PROPERTY RETURNED IS A SIMPLE AND APPARENTLY LOGICAL PROCEDURE, OI HAS FAILED TO ENROLL MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF THE TARGET POPULATION IN MOST OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE IT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED. THOSE FEW OI PROJECTS THAT HAVE SUCCEEDED IN ENROLLING MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF THEIR TARGET POPULATIONS USUALLY POSSESS SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: (1) THE TARGET AREA IS RELATIVELY SMALL, POSSESSING LESS THAN 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS; (2) PERSONALIZED RECRUITMENT METHODS HAVE BEEN USED, SUCH AS GROUP PRESENTATIONS AND DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASSING; AND (3) THE PROJECT HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF OUTSIDE FUNDING, SERVICES, AND MATERIAL FROM COOPERATING GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND CIVIC ORGANIZTIONS. THE USE OF LOW-COST PUBLIC EDUCATION METHODS (LESS THAN $4 PER PARTICIPANT) FOR RECRUITMENT HAS NOT SUCCEEDED, AND PERSONALIZED, EFFECTIVE RECRUITING METHODS HAVE PROVEN EXPENSIVE. EVALUATION STUDIES IN ST. LOUIS (SCHIMERMAN 1974), DENVER (BRANCH 1975), SEATTLE (SEATTLE LAW AND JUSTICE PLANNING OFFICE 1975), AND PHOENIX (TAYLOR 1975) REPORT SOME BURGLARY DETERRENCE BENEFITS FOR OI PARTICIPANTS, BASED ON COMPARISON OF BEFORE AND AFTER BURGLARY RATES FOR PARTICIPANTS. THE REASONS ARE NOT OBVIOUS, HOWEVER, SINCE THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE THAT OI INCREASES EITHER THE APPREHENSION, PROSECUTION, OR CONVICTION OF BURGLARS, OR THAT IT HINDERS THE DISPOSAL OF STOLEN PROPERTY. FURTHER, LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS GREATLY REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT MARKED, RECOVERED STOLEN PROPERTY WILL EVER BE RETURNED TO THE VICTIM. REDUCED BURGLARY RATES ASSOCIATED WITH OI PROJECTS CAN ALSO BE EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT OI WAS USUALLY YOKED TO A BROADER PROGRAM OF CRIME PREVENTION. ALSO, OVERALL BURGLARY RATES IN THE COMMUNITIES USING OI WERE NOT REDUCED DUE TO DISPLACEMENT EFFECTS (REDUCTION IN BURGLARY OF PARTICIPANT HOMES MATCHED BY BURGLARY INCREASES WITH NON-PARTICIPANT HOMES). THE MOST POSITIVE USE OF OI TO DATE HAS BEEN AS AN INTRODUCTION TO MORE SOPHISTICATED CRIME PREVENTION CONCEPTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)