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Neighborhood Watch: Issues and Policy Implications

NCJ Number
108143
Author(s)
S Mukherjee; P Wilson
Date Published
1987
Length
6 pages
Annotation
An analysis of the effects of neighborhood watch programs in Victoria, Australia, concludes that these programs offer considerable promise as a method of reducing certain crimes, although the potential dissipation of their effects over time and displacement effects are both issues needing attention.
Abstract
Citizens initiate these programs in Victoria by contacting the police, who provide training courses and ongoing contact. The program began in Victoria in 1984. By May 1985, 120 programs were operating. The police estimated that residential burglaries dropped by 12.6 percent in 1985. However, it is unclear whether the drop resulted directly from neighborhood watch or whether it was the product of other factors such as new police patroling methods, media efforts that raised citizen consciousness, or economic changes. In addition, other statistics indicate possible crime displacement effects in the form of increases in nonresidential burglaries and motor vehicle thefts and crimes in areas not covered by neighborhood watch. The preliminary evidence also indicates that the effectiveness of such programs may decline over time. It is also not yet clear whether a program with a single objective of reducing residential burglary can reverse the decline in social cohesion in urban areas. System evaluations are needed that would focus on both the process and outcome of implementing these programs. Figures, tables, and 4 reference notes.