NCJ Number
87295
Date Published
1982
Length
90 pages
Annotation
A 1980 police experiment in Hogeveen, Netherlands, involved 1 year of targeted patrol activities and prevention awareness publicity. It was accompanied by preexperiment and postexperiment citizen surveys.
Abstract
The project instituted police measures to repress and prevent misdemeanors, e.g., traffic offenses and such property crimes as theft, burglary, and vandalism. It involved reorganization of police manpower deployment to provide extra surveillance and police visibility at special times and locations, based on observed incident frequency. In addition, media coverage over the experimental period focused on crime specific prevention measures. Population samples were surveyed at the outset and conclusion of the experiment year regarding extent of victimization, fear of crime, prevention practices, and satisfaction with police services. A comparison of crime rates for the preceding year (1979) and the study period indicated a slight rise in the recorded incidence of the targeted offenses. The citizen survey also reported a slight increase in victimizations. Public sense of responsibility for crime reporting and prevention, implementation of preventive measures, and satisfaction with police performance were heightened according to the surveys. Tabular data and 21 references are given.