NCJ Number
56285
Journal
Social Science Quarterly Volume: 58 Issue: 4 Dated: (MARCH 1978) Pages: 647-656
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF A CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION MONITORING SYSTEM IN THREE BUILDINGS OF A NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT FINDS THAT NEITHER CRIME NOR FEAR OF CRIME IS REDUCED. THE SYSTEM IS OFTEN VANDALIZED.
Abstract
THE MONITORING SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN 3 OF THE 26 BUILDINGS OF THE BRONXDALE HOUSES. WHEN TENANTS TUNE TO CHANNEL 3 THE TOP HALF OF THE SCREEN SHOWS THE LOBBY AND THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE ELEVATOR. RESIDENTS WERE ASKED TO MONITOR THE SYSTEM WHENEVER THEY WERE NOT WATCHING OTHER PROGRAMS. A PRELIMINARY CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY FOUND THAT THE CRIME RATE FOR THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE WAS MUCH GREATER THAN FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD REDUCE EITHER CRIME OR THE FEAR OF CRIME. A PRETEST AND POSTTEST OF 110 RESIDENTS (47 IN BUILDINGS WITHOUT THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND 61 IN PROTECTED BUILDINGS) FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS FEELING UNSAFE AT NIGHT; 41.4 PERCENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP REPORTED FEELING UNSAFE AT NIGHT POSTTEST COMPARED TO 50 PERCENT OF THIS GROUP AT PRETEST; FOR THE CONTROL GROUP THE FIGURES WERE 46.2 PERCENT PRETEST AND 66.7 PERCENT POSTTEST. THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS FEELING UNSAFE DURING THE DAY REMAINED CONSTANT AT 25 TO 28 PERCENT FOR BOTH GROUPS. THE NUMBER OF PERSONS THINKING OF MOVING OUT DUE TO CRIME DROPPED FROM 28.1 PERCENT TO 17.2 PERCENT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP BUT INCREASED FROM 26.9 PERCENT TO 38.1 PERCENT IN THE CONTROLS. DUE TO THE SMALL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS, THESE CHANGES ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT. TOTAL CRIME WAS NOT REDUCED. THE COST OF THE SYSTEM WAS ABOUT $1.5 MILLION OR $10,000 PER APARTMENT AND THE TELEVISION CAMERAS WERE CONTINUALLY VANDALIZED. THE BENEFIT IS SMALL CONSIDERING THE COST. STUDY STATISTICS ARE GIVEN. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)