Crime Prevention with Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs - Research Paper Example

? Community Crime Watch in New Jersey The Final Report on Crime Prevention in line with Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs to be instituted in New Jersey Presented By xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To The New Jersey Community Letter of Transmittal November xxx, 2011. New Jersey Community, United States. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I am delighted to present the community with my final report on Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs in New Jersey community. The criminal activities going on in New Jersey has reached a level that requires the input of the community. According to this research, there are opportunities to improve security in the entire community if the recommendations are implemented to the letter. My vision is for a community where people can go about their businesses without fear of being gagged. To achieve this vision, a number of initiatives to address the current community problems have been proposed in my final report. These initiatives are based on wide-ranging consultations with community members, law enforcement agencies and the relevant government officials. I believe New Jersey would be one of the most progressive and secure places in the country. Once again, am thankful for the opportunity to be part of the solution to the problem regarded highly in the community. Warm regards, Xxxxx(Sign) xxxxxxxxx (Name) Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Neighborhood Watch Programs 4 How Neighborhood Watch Works 5 Systematic Review of Neighborhood Watch in Practice 7 Concluding Recommendations 8 References 11 Executive Summary I was appointed and mandate to review the current security situation in New Jersey, identify the gaps for improvements, identify best practices, consult with the community members, and develop recommendations to arrest the current security menace in this area. This report has engendered the opinions of a diverse group of people including community action groups and the security agencies in New Jersey. It contains the Neighborhood Watch Programs samples, how they work, a review of successful stories, and the recommendations intended to inform better decisions leading to a secure New Jersey by changing the prevailing attitudes toward security agencies as well as adopting proven best practices in Neighborhood Crime Watch programs. Introduction The criminal justice system has saved the community for centuries by using a very simple logic to ensure a secure neighborhood: taking the "criminals" away and putting them behind bars away from the rest of the population. It evident within the current functioning of the justice system that many loopholes exist that has led to the worsening of security apparatus in place. As it was done then, the aforementioned method can still work. However, the dynamics within which the old system worked is totally different from the current situational analysis, and a new approach to institute tighter security is urgently required, particularly in New Jersey. Neighborhood Watch Programs The term “Neighborhood Watch” surfaced out of a movement promoting the involvement of the people towards crime prevention in the United States (Titus, 1984). It is often “three pronged” package that not only entails Neighborhood Watch but also property-marking and survey of homes concerning how secure they are (Titus, 1984). Variations encompass block watch, home watch, apartment watch, community watch and the general alertness of the citizenry. Specifically, some of these programs include elements of recruitments for special, regular foot patrols that involve the selected citizens as well as and educational programs, auxiliary police patrol units, and services for victims affected in one way or the other. Neighborhood Watch operates mainly by residents being on the look out for suspicious incidents and reporting them to the police once spotted. It is one of the potential deterrence measures that prevent possible offenders from committing criminal activities (Bennett 1990). One of the first Neighborhood Watch programs was the Seattle Community Crime Prevention Project launched Washington, United states in 1973 (Cirel, et al. 1977). These same types of programs were implemented in Cheshire, United Kingdom, dubbed “The Home Watch program in 1982 (Anderton, 1985). As it turned out, both projects witnessed a massive reduction in criminal activities such as burglary in areas where the programs had been introduced, as compared to areas that had not instituted these types of programs. Indeed, since the introduction of programs in UK, many areas have so far followed the footsteps of their forerunners. According to the British Crime Survey report published in 2000, it is estimated that more than 27 percent of all households in England and Wales had joined hands in tackling criminal activities through the Neighborhood Watch programs (Sims, 2001). As stated in the Survey, over 155,000 active programs were up and running during the same year. Similarly, adoption of the programs gained momentum in the in the U.S. as soon as their effectiveness begun. According to The National Crime Prevention Survey conducted in 2000, it is estimated that 41 percent of the American population did embrace Neighborhood Watch programs (National Crime Prevention Council, 2001). Considering the involvement of resources as well as community’s participation, it would be prudent to interrogate the effectiveness of Neighborhood Watch in reducing crime in New Jersey. As part of the mandate of this assignment, available evidences were studied, evaluated, the findings reviewed and policy implications recommended. How Neighborhood Watch Works As stated above, the most effective mechanism through which Neighborhood Watch worked elsewhere to reduce crime is through constant and consistent reporting of suspicious activities by the residents to the relevant security agencies such as the police (Bennett, 1990). Even thought the link between crime reporting and the subsequent reduction is not very much elaborated in the literature, it a fact that visible surveillance plays a critical role in reducing activities due to the deterrent effect on the potential criminal offenders (Rosenbaum, 1987). Indeed, watching and reporting deter offenders carrying out their activities through the awareness of the likelihood of residents reporting suspicious conducts perceived to be increasing their risks of offenders being arrested. Neighborhood Watch also reduces crime by limiting the opportunities for crime. It has been established that activities removing of litter bins, lawn mowing as well as trash-can filing done when home owners are away serve as baits for neighborhood theft (Cirel et al., 1977). Therefore, the inclusion of Neighborhood Watch does play a critical role in informing the community in residential areas of signs of home occupancy. In effect, it is also a way of creating good neighborliness by putting everybody on board for a secure environment. Social control mechanism is indeed another way Neighborhood Watch might help to reduce crime. Given the foregoing facts, the possibility of Neighborhood Watch programs reducing crime rates is almost guaranteed. It enhances police crime detection through an enlarged information networks from the public. As noted, the flow of information to the relevant security agencies concerning crimes perpetuated by suspicious persons increases the number of arrests and convictions (should a sentence be passed by the jury). This will in a sense send a signal to the possible offenders to a possibility of incarceration (Bennett, 1990). Lastly, property marking and community security surveys are other techniques that Neighborhood Watch employs. Property marking, in effect makes property disposal rather difficult (Laycock, 1985). In brief, it increases the risk of defecting potential offenders. Community security surveys will just make it difficult for any potential criminal offender to enter or grab private property (Bennett and Wright, 1984). Systematic Review of Neighborhood Watch in Practice According to the data for the city of Los Angeles and New York, Neighborhood Watch programs are very cost effective and have helped reduce and prevent crimes tremendously since their inaugural institutionalization. Following in the foot steps of these forerunners, community residents in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies founded the Laurel Lake Community Crime Watch in 1994 in Laurel Lake, New Jersey. This was in done in response to an increase in criminal activities related to property burglary as well as and drug activities within the community. According to the Police investigations, an estimated 90 percent of the crimes in the area in the year 1994 alone were property crimes committed by those involved in the transactions of drugs (NCPC, 2011). Again, The National Crime Prevention Council did their research of 2008 on the effectiveness of Neighborhood Watch Programs; a research that covered the entire United States. As it turned out, about 53 percent of the samples studied in relation to Neighborhood Watch Programs demonstrated positive results. On average, a 9 percent reduction in crime rate was recorded within each of the areas studied. As expected, the research concluded that there was a close link between the Neighborhood Watch Programs and crime reduction. Overall, the research gave a green light to Neighborhood Watch programs as an effective tool for crime prevention (Vermont Emergency management, 2011). As stated in the two analytical papers, community patrols served as the eyes and ears for the Police preventing property crime as well as other forms of crime. Indeed, the community watch group efforts resulted in reduced acts of vandalism and burglary. As the town began enforcing rules such as late-night juvenile curfew, fewer youth would be seen on the on the streets, thereby leading to the less trouble on their part. Because the menace has been solved elsewhere, it is not yet too late to solve it right here in this community. Through Neighborhood Watch programs, neighbors will have a chance to learn and recognize how to report criminal activities without endangering their safety. Through liaising with the security agencies, suspicious activities will be rooted out of the community to protect families and their properties. It is important to note that an improved quality of life in the entire community is everybody’s business. Either individually or collectively, a concerted effort means a lot to ensuring the safety and security of families, neighbors and even homes. Concluding Recommendations If people in the community are really committed to their safety, then Neighborhood Watch programs must be adopted as soon as possible. I suggest immediately. We need to take matters in our own hands and experience the changes that have occurred in our neighborhoods. Just to mention, the old neighborhood system if fast being replaced by a highly growing community in which people tend to seek more privacy. Without a doubt, this kind of life-style promotes unfamiliarity with a corresponding lack of concern. Indeed, this is a factor that has opened up opportunities for the criminal elements, thus the increase in vulnerability of community members to criminal activities as witnessed in the past few months. The foregoing condition dictates, to reiterate, an urgent need for a crime prevention program that will not only enhance neighborhood security, but a program that will also increase the community's observation power by encouraging mutual assistance. The program should also create awareness on where and how to seek inter-neighbors assistance. Without mincing words, Neighborhood Watch Programs will work to prevent and reduce crimes. To hasten these processes of restoring security, the following should be in the pipeline: A young wing representative tasked with asking the police department to help us initiate the program with their support on board from the beginning should be appointed within the first week of the release of this report. An initial meeting with the area residents will follow immediately after approval of our request to the police. The boundaries of the Neighborhood Watch programs will be set during the first meeting (only after the in-attendance gives a green light for a go-ahead). Discussion on what, how and when to report suspicious activities to the police shall take place during the first meeting. Modes of reporting should be discussed at length. Crime identification within the community in the past few weeks should be discussed with the police liaison department, and the recommendations disseminated to every home. Election of the chairperson who will be rotating to oversee the program should be done in the second meeting (to be held in a week’s time after the first meeting). In this meeting, captains charged with disseminating information and recruiting volunteers should be identified. Law enforcement agencies charged with educating neighbors on effective crime prevention and crime reporting should contact within the first week. If possible, an interactive Website should be created within the first one month to help in posting criminal incidences. Areas previously notorious with criminal activities should have warning signs to check entry into such places. A community policing program should be instituted as soon as members agree to such. A partnership program between the police, the officials elected in the two first meetings and the residents should be in place as soon as possible after this report has been officially handed over to the public. References Anderton, K.J. (1985). The Effectiveness of Home Watch Schemes in Cheshire. Chester: Cheshire Constabulary. Bennett, T.H. (1990). Evaluating Neighbourhood Watch. Aldershot: Gower. Bennett, T.H. & Wright, R. (1984). Burglars on Burglary: Prevention and the Offender. Aldershot: Gowe. Cirel, P., Evans, P., McGillis, D. & Whitcomb, D. (1977). Community Crime Prevention ` Program, Seattle: An Exemplary Project. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Laycock, G. (1985). Property Marking: A Deterrent to Domestic Burglary? Crime Prevention Unit Paper 3. London: Home Office. National Crime Prevention Council. (2000). The 2000 National Crime Prevention Survey: Are We Safe? Washington, D.C.: National Crime Prevention Council. National Crime Prevention Council. (2011). Strategy: Starting Neighborhood Watch Groups. Retrieved on 24 November 2011 from http://www.ncpc.org/topics/preparedness/strategies/strategy-starting-neighborhood-watch-groups Rosenbaum, D.P. (1987). The Theory and Research Behind Neighborhood Watch: Is It a Sound Fear and Crime Reduction Strategy? Crime and Delinquency 33, 103–134. Sims, L. (2001). Neighborhood Watch: Findings from the 2000 British Crime Survey. Research Findings 150. London: Home Office. Titus, R. (1984). Residential Burglary and the Community Response. In: Clarke, R.V.G. and Hope, T. (Eds.). Coping with Burglary. Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff. Vermont Emergency management. (2011). Neighborhood Watch Program. Retrieved on 24 November 2011 from http://vem.vermont.gov/programs/cert/neighborhood_watch Read More