NCJ Number
75581
Date Published
1978
Length
43 pages
Annotation
To assist public officials concerned with urban planning and community development, resident security programs in public housing projects in Chicago and other cities are described, and an implementation plan for such programs is presented.
Abstract
In resident security programs, residents take control of their own semiprivate residential areas and thereby engender a sense of community. They agree upon a specific standard to be achieved, such as a reduction of crime, and they develop a mechanism to deal with that issue. The Cabrini-Green resident safety aide program, implemented in Chicago in 1976, involved residents of high-, medium-, and low-rise structures in a prototype security plan which could be adapted to other public housing projects in the city. Its objectives included the provision of protection to residents in all public areas of the buildings and on the grounds, the effective protection of property and grounds, and the creation of an atmosphere of safety and security for residents and their visitors as well as for building staff. For each building, a four-person management service team (a building supervisor, a resident service aide, a resident aide, and a resident safety aide) assumed responsibility for realizing the program objectives. The resident safety aide was responsible for anticrime activities and received special training for 20 weeks in personal safety, first aid, and administrative procedures. Uniforms and a two-way radio were provided to each safety aide. Other models of resident security programs described include those involving police-like security forces, stationary guards, escort services, and block security programs. The implementation plan includes information on organizational alternatives, financial resources, police relations, and recruitment. Footnotes with references are included.