BCJ 4101, Police and Community Relations

Unit IV Assessment Due 9 April 2012

1. The textbook refers to several crime prevention programs initiated in various cities across the U.S. Discuss the goals, strategies employed, and outcomes of two of these programs?

There are several crime prevention programs initiated in various cities across the U.S. The first of the crime prevention programs initiated in various cities across the U.S. was called The Street Lighting Projects. The purpose of this program is to aim at crime through the prevention of an environmental design. This program also offers to the community both an esthetic benefit and an improvement for the safety of the law abiding citizens in the community. The program has had its effects on those communities that adopted this program by increasing the feeling of security from the citizens in the community however it did not deter the crime in some of those areas. The second crime prevention program initiated in various cities across the U.S. is called property identification project. This program is often referred to as Operation Identification. The program was created to deter burglary in some high crime areas. This program offered homeowners kits that included labels which had unique numbers that are applied to valuable items inside of the home. The kit also includes stickers for the windows as well as a record to be given to the police department. Not only was this program created to help deter burglary but to also help keep track of items being sold so the police department could determine if the item or items were stolen and from whom. The program was not successful because it was difficult to get homeowners to participate in the program.

2. Reducing the fear of crime is a major goal of law enforcement. What strategies can law enforcement employ
to reduce the fear of crime in communities?.

One of the programs my community utilizes to employ the reduction of fear of crime in the community is by having police community stations available in certain high crime areas. By having officers inside of the community gives the citizens of the community a sense of security. Another program is the community meetings we have that discuss any activities that seem to concern us. This meeting is conducted by officers whom we are familiar with and who are familiar with us. This gives them information on what to look for and which areas to focus more attention in. Having citizens in the communities know the officers who patrol the neighborhood as well as having the same officers patrol would also help because it give the community another chance to feel secure in their homes and in their community. These small jesters could help make communities a safer place for all law-abiding citizens to dwell.