Unlocking America - Commercial Union's Keys to Community Crime Prevention, Volume 2

• NCJ Number: 77694
• Author(s): G Bennett
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 161 pages
• Corporate Author: Commercial Union Insurance Cos
• Sale Source: Commercial Union Insurance Cos
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Single copy free. For more than one copy, contact publisher for price information.

Annotation

This community crime prevention manual provides background information for selecting a crime prevention target, describes various approaches to crime prevention (e.g., target hardening, architectural design), and outlines steps for assembling a crime prevention program, using the information presented.

Abstract

In examining the three targets for crime prevention -- crimes, people, and locations -- the text defines crime and crime rates, discusses crime statistics and crime costs, portrays typical victims and criminals, and describes the different types of crime (personal, property, white-collar, victimless, organized, and political crime). In addition, the causes of crime according to psychosocial, economic, and biological theories are briefly mentioned. A discussion of crime prevention strategies follows, focusing on the pros and cons of target hardening (making the target less vulnerable through security surveys, property marking, etc.); environmental design; social action (neighborhood watch, lobbying/legislation, counseling programs); criminal justice improvements, such as community restitution, dispute settlement centers, and career criminal programs; education; and personal protection. A brief discussion of the pitfalls of crime prevention programs notes that communities must be objective in planning these programs and must avoid being influenced by personalities or public opinion. Finally, the text explains how communities can develop a crime prevention program. Each stage of the process is described, including the initial planning, community organization training, and public relations. Information on grantsmanship is included (with a list of some funding sources), and ways to gather facts (i.e., through free or inexpensive publications of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and LEAA) are suggested. Sample forms, several resource lists, contact agencies, illustrations of crime prevention hardware, and tabular data are provided. For volume I, which provides a general outline for designing a program, see NCJ 77629.