PREVENTION OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 50431
• Author(s): A M NEWTON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 24 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Sale Source: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE ABSTRACTS

Annotation

AN OVERVIEW IS PRESENTED OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS SINCE 1969 FOR WHICH HARD EVALUATIVE DATA ON IMPACT ARE AVAILABLE; THE PROGRAMS HAVE NOT REDUCED THE CRIME RATE.

Abstract

THE OVERVIEW, WHICH IS BASED ON A SEARCH OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY INFORMATION BASE, FOCUSES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION PROGRAMS, MENTIONING TERTIARY PREVENTION ONLY BRIEFLY. PRIMARY PREVENTION INVOLVES MODIFYING CRIME-CONDUCIVE CONDITIONS IN THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT, WHEREAS SECONDARY PREVENTION IS AIMED AT IDENTIFYING AND INTERVENING IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OR GROUPS LIKELY TO PRODUCE CRIME. TERTIARY PREVENTION IS CONCERNED WITH MINIMIZING RECIDIVISM. THE REVIEW TOUCHES ON THE PREVENTIVE EFFECTS OF POLICE PATROL, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, AND DISPLACEMENT (THE POSSIBILITY THAT PREVENTION PROGRAMS RESULT IN A SHIFT OF CRIME TO OTHER FORMS, TIMES, AND/OR LOCALES). SPECIFIC STUDIES AND PROGRAMS ARE CITED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT MOST CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN EVALUATED HAVE NOT REDUCED CRIME, THAT MANY HAVE HAD POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SOCIAL SIDE EFFECTS AND HAVE BEEN COST INEFFECTIVE, AND THAT MOST HAVE BEEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISPLACEMENT. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT, WHILE MASSIVE EFFORTS TO CONTROL CRIME MAY BE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE CRIME RATE CONSTANT, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE NOT REDUCED THE CRIME RATE. EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS AND STUDIES CITED INCLUDE A PREVENTIVE PATROL EXPERIMENT AND A STREET-LIGHTING STUDY IN KANSAS CITY, MO.; KANSAS CITY'S APPREHENSION-ORIENTED PATROL; SATURATION PATROL IN NASHVILLE, TENN.; OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROGRAMS; THE CHICAGO, ILL., YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROJECT; THE MINNESOTA CRIME WATCH; A NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM-POLICING STUDY IN CINCINNTI, OHIO; A STUDY OF STREET ROBBERY IN NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.; AND AN EXPERIMENT WITH CURFEWS FOR JUVENILES IN DETROIT, MICH. OTHER PROGRAMS AND STUDIES CITED INCLUDE SOME CONDUCTED IN OTHER COUNTRIES (JAPAN, FINLAND, BRITAIN). REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. (LKM)