NCJ Number
41647
Date Published
1977
Length
25 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CRIME PREVENTION UNIT (CPU) OF PIERCE COUNTY, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO REDUCE BURGLARIES BY INCREASING SECURITY AGAINST BURGLARIES AND HEIGHTENING AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL VICTIMS.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM WERE TO EDUCATE 40 PERCENT OF PIERCE COUNTY RESIDENTS IN BURGLARY PREVENTION METHODS, TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE VALUE OF MARKING THEIR PROPERTY FOR LATER RETRIEVAL, TO INCREASE SECURITY AGAINST BURGLARY IN COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS BY CONDUCTING 100 SECURITY SURVEYS, AND TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. FOUR PRIMARY MODES OF OPERATION WERE DEVELOPED AROUND PUBLIC EDUCATION, PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION, SECURITY SURVEYS AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, AN OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM, A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND A PROGRAM TO PREVENT INCIDENTS IN WHICH CHILDREN ARE MOLESTED. WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE EVALUATION METHODOLOGY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMPONENT OF THE CPU. BURGLARY VICTIM RATES WERE REDUCED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PARTICIPANTS SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR ATTENDANCE AT A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PRESENTATION. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT MORE OF THE CPU RESOURCES BE CHANNELED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM....DMC