NCJ Number
38070
Date Published
1975
Length
425 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES THE EFFECT OF INCREASED NUMBERS OF POLICE HOURS IN FOUR ZONES OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ON THE RATES OF ROBBERY, ARMED ROBBERY, ASSAULT AND BATTERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND BATTERY, BURGLARY, AND LARCENY.
Abstract
THE MAJOR ASPECT OF THIS EVALUATION WAS THE COMPARISON OF VICTIMIZATION RATES BEFORE (1973-74) AND AFTER (1974-75) PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. A 20 PERCENT SAMPLE OF THE 7481 HOUSEHOLDS AND A 50 PERCENT SAMPLE OF THE 1331 BUSINESSES IN THE FOUR ZONES STUDIED WERE INTERVIEWED. CHANGES IN VICTIMIZATION RATES FOR EACH OFFENSE WERE CALCULATED ACCORDING TO TIME OF DAY AND PER MONTH DURING THE ONE YEAR PERIOD OF PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. A SLIGHT, THOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, DECREASE IN CRIME RATES WAS RECORDED IN THE AREAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THIS LACK OF PROGRAM IMPACT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE RELATIVELY SHORT SPAN OF THE PROGRAM. AN ATTITUDE SURVEY, ASSESSING THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTIONS OF THE ERIE POLICE AND CRIME IN THE FOUR ZONES STUDIED, REVEALED AN OVERALL FAVORABLE PERCEPTION OF THE POLICE FORCE. MOREOVER, ONLY HALF THE RESPONDENTS SENSED ANY INCREASE IN THE DANGER OF BEING VICTIMIZED AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAM. THE BULK OF THIS REPORT COMPRISES A MAP OF THE CITY OF ERIE AND THE FOUR ZONES INCLUDED IN THE STUDY, COPIES OF THE HOUSEHOLD AND BUSINESS VICTIMIZATION AND ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRES, AND OVER 300 PAGES OF OFFENSE-SPECIFIC TABULAR DATA ON THE RESULTS OF THE TWO VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS.