PATROLLING HIGH-CRIME NEIGHBORHOODS - CHANGING CITIZEN ATTITUDES AND CRIME EXPERIENCES THROUGH A MINI-POLICE MODEL

• NCJ Number: 61788
• Author(s): J HAYES; W WALCOTT
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 15 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University of North Carolina
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE FIRST ANNUAL URBAN AFFAIRS CONFERENCE MAY 1979, ASHEVILLE, NC

Annotation

THE CONCEPT OF TARGETING A MINI-TEAM TO A HIGH-CRIME NEIGHBORHOOD WAS APPLIED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL POLICING PROJECT IN A CHARLOTTE, N.C., PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT TO REDUCE CRIME AND IMPROVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

Abstract

THE MINI-TEAM APPROACH, COMPRISED OF 10 OFFICERS, 1 SERGEANT, AND 1 CIVILIAN, WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 24-HOUR INTENSIVE PATROL AND OFFER A FULL RANGE OF POLICE SERVICES. OVER A 1-YEAR PERIOD, PATROL OF THE NEIGHORHOOD WAS DIVIDED BETWEEN VEHICULAR PATROL FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AND FOOT PATROL FOR THE SECOND, AND VARIOUS POLICE SERVICES WERE OFFERED TO RESIDENTS. TO EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF THE POLICING EXPERIMENT, SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN THE TARGET COMMUNITY BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENT. BEFORE THE EXPERIMENT BEGAN, THE TARGET COMMUNITY WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A LEVEL OF BOTH CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME. IN 1976, OVER 40 PERCENT OF FAMILIES LIVING IN THE HOUSING PROJECT HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED AT LEAST ONCE AND LESS THAN 40 PERCENT FELT SAFE WHEN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ALONE. RESIDENTS WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THE PATROL OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THERE WAS GENERAL HOSTILITY TOWARD THE POLICE. AFTER THE EXPERIMENT BEGAN, CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES, THE HANDLING OF REPORTED VICTIMIZATIONS, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO REDUCE CRIME AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS INCREASED MARKEDLY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS ON THE PERCEPTION AND FEAR OF CRIME. TARGET COMMUNITY RESIDENTS PERCEIVED A MAJOR DECREASE IN CRIME, ALTHOUGH THIS PERCEPTION WAS NOT ACCURATE, AND BEGAN TO FEEL THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS LESS DANGEROUS THAN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. AFTER POLICE LEFT, HOWEVER, MANY FEARS ABOUT CRIME RETURNED. DATA INDICATED THAT WHILE FEAR WAS RELATED TO THE ACTUAL INCIDENCE OF CRIME, THE CONTROLLING FACTOR IN FEAR WAS POLICE PRESENCE. WHEN THE TARGET COMMUNITY WAS COMPARED WITH A CONTROL TARGET COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WERE FOUND TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES THAN RESIDENTS OF THE CONTROL AREA. SUPPORTING DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)